Thursday October 30th 2025
City of Edinburgh Council offices
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
Edinburgh’s housing boss has been removed from her post after making statements in support of a reduction in the council’s affordable housing target for new developments.
Cllr Lesley Marion Cameron was also suspended from the Labour group earlier this week after breaking the party whip at a full council meeting last month.
She was not present in the room when a vote to replace her on the council’s policy committee with fellow Labour councillor Cammy Day.
Cllr Cameron was asked to resign by council leader Jane Meagher earlier this month, but she refused.
Current Edinburgh Integration Joint Board chair, Councillor Tim Pogson, will replace Cllr Cameron in the housing convener role.
Her removal came during Thursday’s full council meeting, where Cllr Meagher supported the council’s affordable housing targets.
Edinburgh Council currently has a requirement that all new developments have 35% of their units be affordable.
But at a meeting of the David Hume Institute at the end of September, she called for the target to be reduced, saying it could dissuade firms from investing in Edinburgh.
Cllr Meagher previously held the role, but handed it over when she was made council leader after Cllr Day left the top job.
He stepped down after allegedly sending sexual messages to Ukrainian refugees in the Capital, and was suspended from the Labour group soon after.
But since being cleared of criminal wrongdoing in May, he has been readmitted to the Labour group, and been slowly returned to council business.
During the vote to remove Cllr Cameron, Cllr Day was added to three more committees and council representation roles.
He will replace Cllr Margaret Graham on the city’s licensing board and the Jazz and Blues Festival board, and Cllr Joan Griffiths on the NHS Lothian board.
The council’s SNP group attempted to prevent Cllr Cameron’s removal from her role, and Cllr Day’s appointment to the committees.
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