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The Herald Scotland
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
What the row over Edinburgh's Tour de France bid really shows
However, that's just the start, as it were, and in 2015 then London Mayor Boris Johnson turned down the opportunity because total costs came in at around £30 million. But a local audit in Bilbao calculated their institutions benefitted from a return on investment ratio of 1:8.5, with €12.2 million generating €103.9 on the back of global exposure. If true, the £1.7 million Edinburgh Council is being asked to contribute for the Grand Départ to set off from the Castle Esplanade in 2027 sounds like good use of public money. It's obviously the view of Edinburgh's Chief Executive Paul Lawrence who, with a tight turnaround for a decision ─ the full agreement must be signed by this Monday ─ approved the spending in principle without first seeking formal council committee approval following detailed scrutiny. Edinburgh is hosting the race (Image: free) This week he was forced to admit it was 'inappropriate' but felt a positive informal discussion with political group leaders in October was enough to proceed. Detailed scrutiny is the theory and depends on who's on the committee and how the politics plays out, as far from a business boardroom as it's possible to imagine. SNP councillor Kate Campbell, never a fan of tourism and instrumental in disbanding the city's Marketing Edinburgh agency in 2019, told Tuesday's Finance committee that 'bringing a huge global event to Edinburgh in the middle of July, is not going to create additional value because … most people agree we are over-touristed at that time.' The arguments about process, decision-making and scrutiny aside, this gets to the nub of the issue, where a major opportunity to sell Edinburgh and Scotland as a destination ─ the racers won't just whizz around the city centre but head off to Dumfries ─ could be lost because of the political bias of anti-growth councillors. The Old Town is indeed chocka during the Festivals, but it is an exaggeration to claim Edinburgh has too many tourists the rest of the year, and despite the Usher Hall, Traverse and Lyceum at the heart of the International Festival, and minutes from Princes Street, in August Lothian Road is hardly La Rambla. It's ironic that Cllr Campbell's SNP-led administration campaigned hard for the introduction of the Tourist Tax, which it is hoped will fund the Grand Départ investment. Either they want visitors to fund an ever-expanding list of things the council can't fund, or they don't. The CEO has some form for cutting procedural corners, going back to 2019 in his previous role as Director of Place when the 2019 Edinburgh's Christmas market went ahead without planning permission, for which he also apologised. As that too involved a very narrow timetable, perhaps the Grand Départ row is another example of it being better to ask forgiveness than permission. But councillors must do the job they are elected to do ─ set policy and scrutinise ─ especially when there are members with as forensic attention to detail as my former colleague, the actuary Phil Doggart, who politely tore into officers on Tuesday. The bigger question is not so much if Mr Lawrence plays fast and loose with the system, but if the system itself is appropriate for a major city facing international competition, where quick decisions and delivery is essential. Given the time taken to progress major initiatives, like New Granton or West Town, the answer must be no. Sometimes risks are justified, such as in late 2022 when previous leader Cammy Day signed off support for the Forth Green freeport without committee scrutiny to avoid SNP and Green councillors derailing the ultimately successful application. The political buy-in, the access to funding and a sympathetic planning and regulatory framework needed for international competitiveness simply aren't there. Read more By comparison, England's regional mayors have significant executive powers. A retread of the Conservative 'Levelling Up' programme or not, the Labour Government has just announced nine English city region mayors will split a £15.6 billion investment in transport alone. The consequential funding boost for Scotland goes to the Scottish Government, in all probability swallowed by the growing social security bill, set to hit just short of £7 billion this year. Last December, the UK Government revealed plans to give the mayors in the seven biggest English regional conurbations new funding settlements to cover housing, regeneration, economic growth, and employment support, to keep pace with the devolved nations. But Scotland is not a city region, and Glasgow and Edinburgh are not powerful city regions with devolved power but effectively in the same league as Leicester and Southampton. Latest ONS data (from 2023) gives a misleading impression of economic health, comparing Edinburgh's gross domestic product per head of £69,809 with London's £69,077, more an illustration of a concentration of well-paid public sector jobs in a population 18 times smaller. Paul Lawrence at least wants to get things done, perhaps in the mould of the late Manchester CEO Howard Bernstein, but he had political permission to get Manchester moving. By comparison, Edinburgh was saddled with the previous CEO's vacuous 2050 City Vision, a colouring-in book where a proper economic strategy was needed, and despite four years' preparation was so poor it had to be relaunched just three years later in 2023. The Grand Départ shows Edinburgh has the assets for international competition but not the effective decision-making structures needed to build on it. Holding out a begging bowl to the Scottish Government while local politicians bicker about priorities ain't no way to run a bike race. John McLellan is a former Edinburgh Evening News and Scotsman editor. He served as a City of Edinburgh councillor for five years. Brought up in Glasgow, McLellan has lived and worked in Edinburgh for 30 years
Daily Record
a day ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Furious councillor brands SNP 'spineless' over school crossing patroller cuts
'If a child is hurt on those roads after August, the blame lies squarely at the feet of the Council Leader Marie Burns and her team of spineless SNP drones.' North Ayrshire Labour have slammed the region's SNP administration after they blocked parents from presenting petitions against council cuts to school crossing patrollers. This comes just days before schools break for summer and the cuts are implemented. Parents, concerned for the safety of their children, took time out to attend Wednesday's Full Council meeting prepared to speak and petition councillors to reverse the cuts to school crossing patrols. Instead, they did not have their voices heard. Cllr Nairn Angus-McDonald presented the motion to permit parents to present their petitions. He said: 'It's nothing short of a disgrace that this SNP administration have gagged the very parents who have given up their time to campaign for their children's safety. 'SNP councillors quite literally looked these parents in the eyes and decided that they know better. 'If a child is hurt on those roads after August, the blame lies squarely at the feet of the Council Leader Marie Burns and her team of spineless SNP drones.' Earlier in the meeting, Labour councillors challenged the SNP leader over the cuts. They say the Council Leader was unable to justify why the SNP administration found it acceptable to suspend standing orders last year to review their cuts to school librarians, but refused to do the same to protect children's safety over cuts to crossing patrollers. Official data from Police Scotland reveals there have been 21 road traffic accidents on the affected roads in the last year, 10 of which have been recorded as serious. However Labour say the administration did not acknowledge those. Later in the meeting, a second attempt to overturn the SNP's cuts was also blocked after a motion from Labour Leader, Joe Cullinane who said: 'This is a council that has lost its moral compass under the current SNP leadership. 'Not satisfied with targeting children with their cuts, they have chosen to silence parents campaigning for their children's safety. 'I am yet to meet anyone who believes that cutting crossing patrollers is the right thing to do. But the SNP won't listen. "These cuts will 'save' just £92,000. Is the safety of our kids not worth £92,000? At the very same meeting the council agreed to spend almost £1million per year to fund the soaring costs of the delayed Ardrossan Campus project. Added Opposition Leader Joe Cullinane 'It's now clear that these cuts have nothing to do with funding. And given the SNP suspended standing orders to reverse cuts to school librarians last year, the barrier to reversing the decision is not governance. The SNP are choosing to put children's safety at risk. 'This whole episode brings shame on this SNP-led Council. For three years they have failed to deliver new policies or projects. All we have had is project delays, rising costs and more and more savage cuts. It's time for change. 'The North Ayrshire Labour Group will continue to stand up for our communities.' Responding Councillor Burns said: "Once again this is a complete distortion of both the meeting and the provision of the school crossing service. 'For some years now, more than half of our primary schools have not had school crossing patrols because of previous assessments under different political administrations. 'The latest reduction was agreed following the use of the nationally recognised assessment process, which will now be repeated more regularly. This approach ensures that all schools are treated equally instead of the previous decision making process which was not clear or transparent. 'Together with the decision to introduce a 20mph speed limit on our residential streets, and a comprehensive road safety campaign to raise awareness of road safety whenever our children are near roads and not just on school journeys, we aim to take a comprehensive approach to the safety of our children and young people across North Ayrshire. "These points were made during the meeting but not addressed by Labour. If Labour believe a different process should be adopted across all of our schools they are free to bring that forward. 'Councillor Angus-MacDonald should reflect on his language. Councillors are expected to act with respect and decorum which he seems to find increasingly difficult to do.'
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Row over Renfrewshire Council's garden waste permit as Reform UK councillor hits out at scheme
Jamie McGuire, who recently defected to Nigel Farage's party, criticised the charge which was first rolled out in July 2023. A war of words has broken out over Renfrewshire Council's garden waste permit after a Reform UK politician branded the scheme "as unfair and illogical as ever". Councillor Jamie McGuire, who defected from Labour to Nigel Farage's party earlier this month, has hit out at the charge which was first rolled out in July 2023. The annual fee for the service rose from £40 to £47 for 2025/26 and will increase further to £52 in 2026/27 and £57 in 2027/28 after a pricing strategy was voted through in January. Councillor McGuire, who represents Renfrew North and Braehead, blasted the policy as "nonsense" and a "stealth tax" as he took aim at the SNP administration. He said: "The £47 charge for garden waste collection isn't new but it remains as unfair and illogical as ever. "Introduced by the SNP-led administration in Renfrewshire, this policy continues to hit ordinary residents in the pocket for using the same brown bin they've always had. "Let's be clear, this is not a new or improved service. It's the same bin, the same lorry, the same route but now, if it contains garden waste without a paid permit, it won't be collected. "Food waste? No problem. Grass cuttings? £47, please. It's nonsense. This charge is yet another example of how out of touch the SNP administration has become. "Instead of making life easier for hard-working families, they've chosen to impose a stealth tax on people who take pride in their gardens and their communities. "At a time when households are struggling with rising costs, this is the last thing people need. It punishes responsibility and risks encouraging fly-tipping – problems that will cost the council more to deal with in the long run." Unlike food waste, which people can continue to present on its own in brown bins for uplift free of charge, the collection of garden waste is not a statutory service and, therefore, not one the council is required to provide. However, an exemption on payment is offered to householders entitled to full or severe mental impairment council tax reduction. Responding to Councillor McGuire, SNP council leader Iain Nicolson, who represents Erskine and Inchinnan, said: "The garden waste permit scheme has been in operation now for two years and has proven to be popular with the uptake in permits maintaining at a steady level. "The garden waste permit is an optional choice for those who own gardens if they wish us to collect their garden waste. "There are alternative options which include taking the waste to one of our civic amenity sites or reusing and recycling within gardens as compost or mulch. "It is not a statutory obligation on the council to provide this service but we continue to offer it as a service on the same principle of bulk waste collections which is also an optional choice. "Councillor McGuire has been known to misunderstand what garden waste is and why we introduced a small annual fee. The reason for the fee is the cost of disposal of the waste which the council must pay an external contractor to treat and dispose of. "These costs are not within the control of the council. Faced with a choice between a small service fee for some services or we use our resources to support the most vulnerable, we chose to support our most vulnerable unlike Reform which are about millionaires, privatising our health services and reducing hard-won workplace rights and benefits."
The Herald Scotland
3 days ago
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Unions say Alexander Dennis move to England is a 'political failure'
Union representatives told MSPs that while the proposal has not yet been finalised, the move could endanger approximately 400 Scottish jobs. This news follows the loss of more than 400 jobs just a few miles away in Grangemouth, where the local oil refinery recently closed and was converted into an import terminal. Derek Thomson, the Scotland regional secretary for trade union Unite told economy committee MSPs: 'It'll be catastrophic in Falkirk and Larbert to lose that amount of jobs.' Read more: And Robert Deavy, the senior organiser for manufacturing with GMB Scotland said the situation would require a political intervention to resolve. 'Speaking to our members, this is something that we as a union have been raising for some time – I'm pretty sure Unite have been as well,' he said. 'We believe that this is a political failure that now requires a political solution. He added: 'Now we need everyone to come together – trade unions, politicians and, really importantly, we need ADL involvement on this.' The bus firm at the centre of a row over its move to England after receiving £90 million of public money for Scottish jobs had been offering a grain of hope of a reprieve for hundreds of jobs - following government intervention. Alex Salmond and Nicola Sturgeon launched their financial case for Scottish independence at Alexander Dennis (Image: Newsquest) The Scottish Government was accused of "strategic neglect" after the Herald revealed the extent of support Alexander Dennis (ADL) has had - while the First Minister was warned last year that it was "reconsidering" its "entire investment" in Scotland. And the SNP-led Scottish Government and the Labour-led UK Government have agreed to establish a joint working group to discuss options to find a solution and avert job losses. They are looking at how far they 'can push' the UK 'state aid' rules set out in the Subsidy Control Act 2022 to create a support package to save the 400 jobs. Alexander Dennis has said that they are engaging with both governments "in good faith on the possibility of any intervention" and stressed that a final decision on the move had not yet been made. The committee is due to take evidence from the bosses of ADL in a special session on Thursday. The company, the unions said, is losing out on contracts to cheaper foreign alternatives as a result of their lower costs, with Mr Thomson calling for direct awards to be made from Government to the company and for workers to be paid until work on the contracts begins. 'What we understand is that pending those direct awards or contracts being done, there is a four month gap between bringing those contracts online and the end of the consultation period,' he said. 'What we have been asking for and speaking to the Deputy First Minister about is a time-limited furlough scheme where we can support those workers through that period of the contract being awarded.' Mr Thomson stressed, however, that ADL would need to agree to continue production in Scotland, rather than winning the contract and building the buses at Scarborough. The union leader said the furlough cost is expected to be between £4 million and £5 million. Speaking to journalists earlier this month, First Minister John Swinney said the Government was considering a furlough scheme. Mr Deavy warned MSPs that, if the sites close, then 'the skills are lost forever' in the area.
The National
4 days ago
- Business
- The National
Rob Roy's missing blade feels like an apt metaphor for our situation
The hilt would be the Scottish Parliament, the missing blade the powers and resources needed to make the sword whole and let Rob get about his business. Since its inception in 1999 the Scottish Parliament has been a political trap, well designed by Donald Dewar, and built to ensure the rebellious Scots could go politically no further forward for the foreseeable future – let alone a generation or even a lifetime. READ MORE: Fergus Ewing's solo Holyrood bid 'unnecessary', John Swinney says From the massive cost overrun on the parliament building itself to today's similar cost overruns on the Port Glasgow ferries, the parliament has provided fuel for the Unionists to say 'we told you so'. It has provided gainful employment for more than 100 politicians and special advisors, many of whom seem to have become very settled into the parliament's day-to-day routine. In the 1990s the SNP debated, at length, what would be its attitude to the parliament. The majority thought that half a loaf was better than no loaf. The parliament has attract the blame for all that is wrong in Scotland, and will continue to do so, while receiving little credit for what works well. The SNP have spent the past 18 years managing devolution. READ MORE: Scotland 'should not be treated as afterthought' of HS2 project They have tried to make the best of a sometimes difficult political and financial situation but at times appear to have lost the drive to finish the job and press on to independence. According to the small army of accountants employed by the parliament, much bigger financial challenges lie ahead. The pocket money from Westminster will very soon not stretch to cover the demands of Scotland's ageing population and its more generous welfare policies. In response, the SNP are now looking to 'reform' public services to bridge the financial gap. If (and it's a big if) the SNP form the Scottish Government from May 2026 onwards, 'reform' could be a very painful process and will only serve to further distract the SNP from its allegedly core purpose – independence. Brian Lawson Paisley IN The National on Saturday Kate Forbes was yet again writing about Scotland's successful record in attracting foreign investment (FDI). (The numbers prove it – the world is ignoring those who talk Scotland down, Jun 21). She obviously sees this as a great success story for the SNP-led Scottish Government, and provides a narrative to contrast with the litany of their failures to deliver on a range of targets, including reductions in poverty, the educational attainment gap, drug deaths, homelessness, NHS waiting lists; it's a long list. To be fair, increasing FDI has a pragmatic element to it given the economic constraints that remaining in the Union creates. The Scottish Government has limited capacity to grow the economy by increasing public spending because it has to 'balance the books' – spending must be matched by taxation, meaning as much money is taken out of the economy as has been added. The only part of Scottish Government spending which adds to the economy is the funds allocated under the Barnett Formula, which is derived from UK Government public spending decisions. FDI brings additional capital into Scotland and helps generate more income tax revenue through the employment it creates. READ MORE: Ex-Unionist party leader backs Scottish independence referendum The problem, however, is that the profits don't stay here – 6% of Scotland's GDP leaves our shores, much of it headed for tax havens. Foreign investors can also withdraw, as exemplified by a foreign investor (Ineos) closing Grangemouth. Much of our essential industries such as food supply and energy are dominated by foreign companies. Our whisky and salmon export industries are also owned mostly by foreign investors. This is not a viable scenario for an independent Scottish economy but it is clear that Kate and her fellow ministers think that managing the economy after independence will be very much the same as now. The difference will be greater borrowing powers, which essentially means swapping the Barnett Formula for dependence on the bond markets. Is it any wonder, then, that Kate and her colleagues don't think the currency question is at all important? Perhaps, since they think running the post-independence economy will be similar to managing the current one under devolution, they consider themselves the ones best equipped to do that. Their refusal to join a convention along with other elements of the independence movement might reasonably be explained by a reluctance to engage with 'a bunch of amateurs'. It looks like the rest of the independence movement will need to develop a way forward without them, and there is no shortage of ideas, knowledge and talent in Scotland which can do this. Jim Osborne Glasgow
