Marc Richard Wilkinson is a candidate for the Edinburgh South West constituency in the 2024 United Kingdom general election. Wilkinson is the owner of Pure Pizza in Morningside and an active campaigner in local issues.
He expresses strong concerns about the current political representation, believing that politicians are not adequately addressing the interests of their constituents, particularly small business owners.
Wilkinson advocates for policies that would level the playing field for small businesses and create a more favorable environment for new enterprises, which he sees as vital for economic diversity and competition. He points out the challenges small businesses face due to the advantages large corporations have, such as economies of scale and purchasing power, which lead to industry consolidation and make it increasingly difficult for small businesses to compete.
Wilkinson's political vision includes decentralizing power from major political parties to local levels. He dreams of inspiring the creation of over 100 new political parties that are local to towns, cities, or regions, aiming to reduce the concentration of power and prevent political capture by large entities.
He believes that this decentralization would ensure that small parties are democratically run and more representative of their constituents.
Wilkinson is part of the EDINBURGH PEOPLE group, which has positioned five candidates across Edinburgh's five constituencies. Although these candidates are running as independents due to the party not yet being registered with the electoral commission, they are united under the EDINBURGH PEOPLE banner.
Wilkinson urges voters to remember their names and support their vision for a more localized and representative political process.