Callum is the Conservative Group's Education Spokesperson on Edinburgh Council and is running for election to the Scottish Parliament in 2021 as candidate for Edinburgh Northern & Leith.

Edinburgh born and raised, Callum’s career in Corporate Communications has taken him across the world but he returned to Edinburgh in 2014 to help fight to maintain the Union. Part of Ruth Davidson’s team of candidates in the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections, and was elected to Council in 2017.

A keen walker and lover of architecture, Callum is committed to the ongoing regeneration of Portobello and Joppa’s historic core and famous seafront and the opportunities to encourage greater numbers of visitors to support local entrepreneurs. Having worked with many businesses and organisations on ways to help increase their profile this is a skill he hopes to bring to the ward.

Following his election, Callum said: "As the son of a teacher and small business owner, education and enterprise are two of my strongest priorities and I believe that local government really has the opportunity to do much more to improve Scotland’s slipping educational standards and encourage and support small businesses. With one of the largest high schools in Scotland and some great independent shopping and hospitality I will champion Portobello Craigmillar’s current successes and address where more support could be provided.”

“Portobello Craigmillar is a distinct but diverse community, historic yet constantly changing, reflecting our city in miniature. As your Councillor, I will represent the whole ward and ensure that Edinburgh’s seaside plays a key part of the success of our capital city as a whole but I need to hear your views so please do get in touch.”

If you have any local issues or concerns that you would like to raise, you can contact Callum by emailing callum.laidlaw@edinburgh.gov.uk or calling 0131 529 4382. For local news and updates, you can follow Callum on Twitter and Facebook.