Midlothian MP Kirsty McNeill
Monthly column written by Midlothian MP, Kirsty McNell.
Ten years ago this summer my friend Jo Cox MP was murdered at a constituency event. The far right terrorist who killed her believed that he would succeed in spreading hatred. Instead he unleashed a tidal wave of love as people started to hear Jo’s message for the first time.
In her maiden speech in the House of Commons Jo said that “we are far more united and have far more in common than that which divides us” and how right she was.
Inspired by Jo’s story, the Great Get Together is an initiative started by Jo’s family and the charitable foundation which bears her name. It invites people right across the UK to connect with their neighbours, to turn strangers into friends and to have a blether with people even though we might not always see eye to eye.
It’s an annual celebration of everything that connects our communities and this year I am proud to be hosting Midlothian’s Great Get Together.
The day is free, fun and family friendly. We’ve got everything from a fire engine to dance performances, play sessions to an observational beehive, petanque to penalties, a brass band to a camera club. There’s even going to be a smoothie bike and a dad joke competition since it’s Father’s Day.
All of this is being put on by volunteers from our extraordinary local community organisations. So if you’ve ever wondered what happens in a men’s shed, what walking rugby is like or whether you should become a community gardener, this is your chance to find out.
I believe it’s important to hold these kinds of events everywhere, but especially so in a place like Midlothian which is growing so fast. Every time you look around there is a new development springing up and that can lead to us feeling a bit disconnected from each other. So let’s try to fix that this weekend. Bring the kids, a neighbour, a friend – or just bring yourself and meet someone new.
Jo believed in the power of common action, and in her mind, there was no question that could not be answered in working together. So this weekend, let’s get together to remember her and remember just how much hope there is to be found around every corner in Midlothian.
Midlothian’s Great Get Together is taking place at Danderhall Miners Club from 11 – 2 on Sunday 21 June. All welcome, RSVP here: https://kirstymcneill.com/greatgettogether/
Car parked on Eskbank Road
This View has been written by Midlothian View reader, Philip Reilly
Where every street is a stage, every yellow line is a suggestion, and enforcement is the disappearing act that nobody can explain.
For many residents, businesses, tradespeople, and visitors, parking in Dalkeith has become one of the town’s most visible and frustrating issues. What was once an occasional inconvenience has developed into a daily problem affecting road safety, local commerce, emergency access, and the quality of life of those who live in the area.
Walk through Dalkeith on almost any weekday and the same scenes are repeated. Vehicles parked on pavements force pedestrians into the carriageway. Cars are left on double yellow lines with little concern that any action will follow. Junctions become obstructed, visibility is reduced, and school routes become increasingly congested during peak periods.
Many residents have begun asking a simple question: if parking restrictions exist, why are they so rarely enforced?
The purpose of parking regulations is not to generate revenue or inconvenience motorists. Their primary purpose is to maintain safety, ensure access, support local businesses, and keep traffic flowing efficiently. When enforcement becomes infrequent or ineffective, the regulations themselves gradually lose their deterrent effect.
This is particularly noticeable in areas surrounding schools. School Streets initiatives have been introduced to encourage walking, cycling, and safer journeys for children. However, these benefits can be undermined when vehicles continue to stop illegally near crossing points, park on corners, or obstruct visibility around entrances and exits.
The consequences are not merely theoretical. Poor parking reduces sight lines for drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians alike. Parents with pushchairs, wheelchair users, and elderly residents often find themselves forced onto busy roads because pavements have become unofficial parking spaces. Every obstruction creates another unnecessary risk.
Local businesses are also feeling the effects.
Independent retailers rely upon a regular turnover of customers. When long-term parking occupies prime locations throughout the day, genuine shoppers can struggle to find convenient spaces. Some traders report customers choosing to shop elsewhere rather than face the uncertainty and frustration of parking in the town centre.
Tradespeople face similar challenges. Service vehicles often require short-term access close to customers’ properties. When streets are already saturated with poorly parked vehicles, essential work becomes more difficult, less efficient, and more costly.
The issue is not a lack of regulations. Dalkeith already has waiting restrictions, loading controls, School Streets measures, and various traffic management schemes. The concern repeatedly raised by residents is that enforcement appears inconsistent and, in some locations, largely absent.
A regulation that is never enforced is little different from having no regulation at all.
This perception creates a cycle. Drivers observe others parking illegally without consequence. Confidence in the likelihood of enforcement diminishes. More drivers take the same approach. Eventually, behaviour that would once have been considered exceptional becomes normal.
The result is a gradual deterioration of standards across the town.
Residents have documented numerous examples of vehicles parked on pavements, across dropped kerbs, within restricted zones, and in positions that compromise visibility. Photographs and reports continue to be submitted, yet many feel little changes on the ground.
At the same time, concerns have grown regarding the wider strategic approach to parking management within Midlothian. As development continues and traffic volumes increase, the demand for parking and effective enforcement will only grow. Without a clear and visible commitment to tackling persistent parking offences, existing problems are likely to worsen.
The solution does not necessarily require more regulations. It requires confidence that existing regulations will be applied fairly, consistently, and visibly.
Residents, businesses, and visitors all benefit from streets that are safe, accessible, and well managed. Effective parking enforcement is not about punishment; it is about creating an environment where everyone understands the rules and can have confidence that those rules apply equally to all.
Dalkeith deserves town centres that support local businesses, school routes that prioritise safety, and streets that remain accessible for emergency services, pedestrians, cyclists, and residents alike.
Until then, the daily parking performance continues.
The stage remains crowded.
The audience is growing increasingly frustrated.
And many are still waiting for enforcement to make its entrance.
Rosewell Primary School
Written by Billie Dunlop, Estate Agent for RE/MAX Bonnyrigg
Parents of children from Rosewell Primary School have called for greater recognition of the school’s Glee Choir after Frisson Foundation confirmed that a scoring error affected the results of the recent Regional Glee Challenge Final.
The regional final, held on Friday 29 May, brought together schools from across the region to compete for a place in the national final.
Rosewell Primary had also reached the regional final last year but did not progress further. Parents, pupils and staff accepted that result, acknowledging that other choirs had performed better on the night.
This year felt very different.
Many in attendance felt Rosewell delivered one of the standout performances of the evening. The choir received highly positive comments from the judging panel, with praise for their harmonies, diction and choreography. Their performance was met with rapturous applause from the audience.
As the results were announced, third and second place were confirmed first. Many Rosewell parents and supporters believed the choir would then be announced as winners. However, the first-place announcement appeared hesitant and was not clearly audible to parts of the audience, before Ratho Primary stood up as the winning choir.
The result left many Rosewell pupils, parents and teachers visibly disappointed and confused, particularly given the strength of the judges’ comments following their performance.
On 2 June, Frisson Foundation quietly announced on their Facebook page that an error had been made in the scoring process and that Rosewell Primary had now been placed as joint third. The school was also notified of the correction today.
While parents welcomed the correction, many feel that a quiet social media update and late notification to the school does not go far enough, particularly when the children lost the opportunity to hear their school recognised properly on the night. For pupils who had worked so hard and left the final feeling overlooked, the moment cannot simply be recreated days later through a Facebook post.
There are also questions from parents as to whether Rosewell Primary should now be considered for a place in the national final, given that the corrected result confirms they should have been placed on the evening.
Parents have also raised concerns about whether presentation and costume may have influenced the final outcome, as the originally announced winning schools appeared in costume, while Rosewell Primary’s performance was praised for its vocal quality, harmonies, diction and choreography.
One Rosewell parent said: “Mistakes can happen, but what matters is how they are corrected. These children worked so hard, gave an exceptional performance and left believing they had not been recognised at all. A quiet correction days later does not rebuild their confidence or give them back the moment they lost.”
Parents are now calling on Frisson Foundation to publicly acknowledge the scoring error and properly celebrate the achievements of the Rosewell Primary Glee Choir, whose performance they believe deserves wider recognition.
Whatever the final standings, there is widespread agreement on one point: the children of Rosewell Primary represented their school with pride, professionalism and talent, and should be extremely proud of what they achieved on the night.
