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SNP councillors step down after being elected MSPs

News imageScottish Parliament A composite image of two politicians side by side. The politician on the left is a brunette woman with a side fringe, a blue blazer and is smiling directly at the camera. The politician on the right has long dark hair, is wearing a white shirt and is also smiling at the camera. Scottish Parliament
Kate Campbell (left) and Simita Kumar (right) have resigned as councillors following their Holyrood election.

Two new MSPs are to step down as councillors following their success at last month's Holyrood elections.

Simita Kumar and Kate Campbell were both SNP councillors in Edinburgh but have decided not to complete the final year of their term on the council after winning in May's Scottish Parliament elections.

Kumar was elected to represent the Edinburgh South Western seat at Holyrood and Campbell won Edinburgh Eastern, Musselburgh and Tranent.

Two by-elections will take place at a later date to replace the councillors on City of Edinburgh Council.

Under laws passed last year, a councillor who is elected as an MSP is expected to stand down within 49 days unless there is an election within the following year.

Kumar and Campbell could have stayed on until next May 2027's Scottish council elections but decided to quit to concentrate on their Holyrood duties.

Kumar has been a councillor for the Southside/Newington Ward since 2022 and led the SNP group on the council for the past two years.

At the 2024 Westminster elections she stood in the Edinburgh South constituency but came second to Labour's Ian Murray.

After winning her seat at Holyrood in May, she was appointed to a junior role in the Scottish government as minister for Equalities and International Development.

Campbell has been the councillor for the Portobello/Craigmillar ward since 2017.

She said: "Representing the amazing communities of Portobello and Craigmillar has been an honour over the last nine years and I look forward to continuing to represent them as their MSP."

An SNP spokeswoman said: "Balancing the two very important roles of councillor and MSP has been something both Simita and Kate have been considering over the last few weeks - with the issue becoming more of an urgent question following Simita's appointment as a government minister.

"Both SNP councillors have today tendered their resignation - effective from Thursday 4th June - to the chief executive in order to allow the council to manage the by-elections cost effectively and efficiently."