Councillor
Dr Arthur was first elected councillor for the Colinton/Fairmilehead at the 2017 City of Edinburgh Council election as a member of the Labour Party. [6] He was re-elected in 2022. [7]
In May 2022,Dr Arthur was appointed the Transport and Environment Convener in the Labour Party's minority administration of the City of Edinburgh Council. He said at the time that the position would be interim and he would be standing down in October of that year following a council reshuffle. [8]
Dr Arthur went on to serve as the Transport and Environment Convenor until September 2024. [9] His resignation as a councillor followed his election to the UK Parliament.
As Transport and Environment Convenor in the Council,Arthur was instrumental in advocating a new north-south route for the tram,linking Granton in the North West of the city to the BioQuarter in the South East. [10] A public consultation,originally due in Spring 2024 but since delayed,was promised on two proposed options for the route to Granton. One along what is currently the Roseburn path,and the other along a vehicular route known as ‘Orchard Brae’. Arthur was a strong proponent of the Roseburn option,stating it would link up the tram with the Western General Hospital,along with other congestion-based benefits. [11] The Roseburn option was met with some controversy,with opponents saying the thousands of cyclists who currently use the path would be displaced,and biodiversity benefits to residents and the city’s climate plan would be lost. [12]
