Life

Been a busy day today particularly at PEP. It's that time of the year when every funder wants an end of year report; key funders want grant forms completed and submitted and in the middle of all that we have a Winter Programme to plan and deliver. This year's Winter festival has, at its core, an arts extravaganza with a fantastic pantomime, mixed media exhibition and launch of a very special recipe book prepared by the Neighbourhood Group. Take into account more Christmas parties than most people have digits, extra shopping trips and a lot more besides and you'll get the picture. November is a month of critical planning and preparation and December is just plain mad!

I've just finished pulling together the annual monitoring & evaluation report (based entirely on service users own responses) and it is excellent. Most striking is the big increase in the number of local people now receiving a service from PEP: we are recording an increase of 23% on last year's numbers and are now providing at least 1 service per annum to 750 people - and that in a year when the organisation has been under the cosh from a drip feed of anonymous, unpleasant allegations. It says a lot about the attitude of the staff and the quality of their work as well as a lot about the solid support from the Board and the vast majority of the local community.

After PEP it was on to Morrisons to get some necessary victuals - we were down to the last 2 onions, 3 tatties and a solitary pack of herb sausages in the freezer (sausage and mash for dinner tonight!). I am trying to conserve money - 44 Xmas prezzies are going to eat into the funds...not to mention an end of year holiday I booked long before I sat down to do the Xmas sums...so it was all the 'buy one get one free' offers and no booze. It's a shame we don't like pizzas...if we did we could eat for practically nothing all month long...I'm not, by nature, very good at prudence - in truth, Elizabeth and prudence is an oxymoron. I can do it when I have to but I really hate it!

And talking of prudence I caught Marilyne's story in tonight's Evening News (wasn't it an awful photo? Marilyne' is a fine looking woman and plainly they chose the very worst photo - a common trick of the EN as I know to my cost) - is it just me or is everybody getting just a wee bit fed up of the 'it wisnae me, it was them to blame' line she repeats like a mantra. If it isn't Labour mismanaging the budget, then it's the Evening News putting words in her mouth. C'mon Marilyne...you can do better than that!

And finally, I was at Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre tonight to do my regular constituents' 'surgery'. Only 3 people there tonight (fewer than usual) so I had a bit time on my hands. I noticed a poster on the wall, a photograph of Martin Luther King Jnr delivering his 'I have a dream' speech at the Lincoln Memorial. It is a startling photograph with the Washington obelisk in the distance, huge crowds between and Luther King in the foreground commanding the space. I read the speech carefully again - and was struck anew as to how many of its phrases have passed into folklore...' the summer of discontent'...'now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all God's children'...a nation where (children) are judged not by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character' ...'let freedom ring'...
I remember hearing that speech on the TV when I was a wee girl...it was as uplifting then as it is now.

If you haven't already done so, go to the Lincoln Memorial and buy a book of Lincoln's speeches and of all the famous US democrats who have used his words and example as an inspiration. I promise you, it will move you to tears, as will the Vietnam Wall. All America's magnificence and mistakes on display in a single place for everyone to ponder.

winter approaches

Children & Families committee today...not much of note except the decision to proceed with a review of community learning and development and anything else that is discretionary spending...that's a lot ...adult learning, community development, ESL, quality review etc etc...none of it has the same media impact as school closures but it's all pretty damned important. Also, a report showing that spending on vulnerable children rises exponentially and is, as ever, out of control...

West Pilton & Granton Community Council tonight - a big and active group with many characters I have known for a long time: all are keen and committed and everyone has an opinion.

The opinion polls don't look promising at the moment though a straight fight between Labour and the Tories always helps us. It looks like Gordon was right to delay: with such volatility in voting intention it would have been a difficult call to make. It will be interesting to see whether the Tory lead can be sustained over the winter months.

And finally...the Xmas diary is beginning to fill up...I feel ill already...was counting up the gifts list ...44 presents...I cannae believe it! Better make a start on it soon...and that doesn't count the 5 December birthdays either!

USP

Looking after my grandaughter this weekend: with her dad and grandad she is a season ticket holder at Easter Road and she arrived after yesterday's match to tell me she is going out with her friends (in Gorgie) and I am to both deliver and collect her. I must be getting old...she is fourteen and it felt a heavy responsibility as I ran through all the reasons why she should not go - all mostly to do with my anxieties. She went: we arranged to meet at 10pm and she was only six minutes late...but I tell you for those six minutes I went to hell and back...she is a sweetheart but she is a teenager. I can remember everything I got up to at 14 years and who with...I wouldn't like to believe she could do the same.

Been reading about the SNP conference: they are enjoying their moment of triumph and are entitled to. It won't take long before the burnish of victory glows less rosily. It is the way of politics and life...nothing lasts, it is only a question of how long. They have had an easy start, made easier by Labour's disarray. I fear this could go on for a while yet. It is impossible to be more Scottish than the SNP and class politics, from which Labour is sprung, is apparently redundant in the new era. The turf is now social justice and economic well being and it is ground that is easily shared. Nationalism is the SNP's USP: Labour in Scotland must find another.

Limits

Well that was a week that passed in a blur...so much going on it's difficult to know where to start but equally no idea how much, if any, was to good effect. Take a look at Thursday's Council meeting for example...nearly nine hours long and in the end only two decisions of any real importance...the trams and Portobello High School...but boy, collectively 58 politicans can really chunter on...

it's also pretty obvious the whole pendulum has swung away from local government to Holyrood and it's clash with Westminster. How much worse will it be when we no longer set our own tax? We'll be ciphers of another tier with no independent action. Funny how centuries of democratic representation can be swept away and nobody even seems to notice.

The most interesting stuff of the last few days has been the revelation that alcohol recommendations on safe drinking (14 and 21 units) have no scientific background. Somebody lied to us...for years...and nobody seems very bothered about that either! An immense relief for me...I don't know anybody (who drinks, that is) who ever stuck to those guidelines. As I get older I drink less and less (I can't sleep if I have more than 2) but the thought of somebody imposing a limit has never been attractive...for me, as true in all aspects of life as it is for alcohol. This week Mike and I decided (after a very heavy dinner party last Saturday) we weren't going to drink at all for 7 days. Alas, we lasted only till Thursday.

economic development

The first meeting of the economic development committee today...it has many more members than I thought and 9 officers ranked at the top table...I wonder how much it costs to hold them all there for the two hours of the meeting...

I was pleased the chair accepted my proposal to call for an audit of all current economic development activity across the council - currently it is spread thinly and to poor effect: each area will hold steadfastly to their own wee bit (probably doing well) but losing the synergy of joint working and direction: I was also pleased the committee agreed with me to undertake an investigation into establishing an Edinburgh Bureau, similar to Glasgow's to act as a focal point of promotion for the Capital. I also want to push for a review of our relationship with VisitScotland. I don't think we good value from them. We shall see...

Good partnerships

Been a good day at PEP: we opened the West Pilton Neighbourhood Garden which is a really successful partnership among 4 partners: NELO, Capital Skills, West Pilton Tenants and PEP. Basically, NELO paid for the landscaping, Capital Skills did the work with young North Edinburgh trainees, West Pilton tenants identified and commissioned the project and will benefit from the environmental improvements and PEP manaaged he partnership and will maintain the garden as a community gardening project. The new garden looks terrific and the 90 people who came along to see the Lord Provost open it, thought so too. A word of praise for the Craigroyston High School Samba Band who were brilliant!

Labour Group this afternoon: a lot on Thursday's agenda: it promsies to be another long day...

The Zoo

Sorry to labour this but I am told yesterday by a reliable source that Steven Purcell aka Mr Glasgow is rubbing his hands in glee at the prospect of Glasgow's new Royal Zoo...it would be laughable if it was not so serious...how are we in this sorry mess? And where will the four Liberal local councillors be when the whole Corstorphine site comes up for housing?

Relocation, relocation...

I am told that rumours already abound that the zoo is looking for a new location. I hope this is not true. If so, our planning committee has a helluva lot to answer for.

No. 1 City: Edinburgh

Just finished watching Location, Location, Location where, based on local authority boundaries and statistics looking at safety, education, culture, nightlife etc. Edinburgh is voted the UK's Number 1 place to live with the best economy outside London.

I feel proud and I think the 20 years of Labour rule in the city (in which I am very pleased to have played a big part) is vindicated. The challenge is now thrown to the new administration. They can't take any credit for this accolade ...but they have to match and better it: so far they've given a damned good impression of ducking every difficult decision and screwing up our progress. Decisions being taken now have a 5 years lead in time: thumbs down to the zoo: thumbs down to new school investment: thumbs down to nursery education and support for the working family: thumbs down to city centre licenses: it doesn't look good, does it?

That leaves the tram: with a £40 million deficit for line b, critical to the waterfront (and the city's next major growth) development, the challenge is to make sure the money is there to build it. Let's see what they're made of now.

Young Turks

Been following some of the blog comments on Ming Campbell's forced retirement...got a better perspective on internal Liberal politics ...found the comments re the 'Young Turks' particularly illuminating...these apparently are newer right wing members of the Liberal party who previously might have found their political home in the Tories. To the despair of the traditional Liberal they have infiltrated the Lib Dems, presumably in the belief that the Tories are a dying breed and political advancement lies elsewhere....(Labour suffered from this too in the '90's).

I'm told it is widely known on the Council rumour mill that the Liberal councillor for the Forth ward used to be a member of the Young Tories...if true, presumably she would be called a 'Young Turk' too.

Politics is a funny business...individuals start off at one point and for various reasons find themselves moving around on the political compass...I imagine it is seldom as a result of a 'damascene' revelation, more likely a set of expediences and compromises where they can get what they want by following another path. I think of all the people I know who have 'crossed the floor' ...with only 1 exception most have changed because they were threatened with extinction by their Party of first choice.

How much harder to stay and fight on...some might call it foolishness, others honourable. It will be interesting to see if Gordon Brown revisits his offer to Ming Campbell to join his government: even more so, to see if Ming accepts...

holidays and forced retirement

Ming Campbell has been forced to resign for no other reason than being too old. He has been relentlessly undermined by his own Party colleagues for a long time: these Liberals aren't quite the nice bunch of people they'd have you believe...

Council very quiet at the moment: it's the school holiday week and everybody is away...it's amazing how empty the car park is at HQ...everybody is married to teachers, you see...

Flattering to deceive

Pleasant afternoon at Meggatland watching Hawick vs Boroughmuir. My nephew, Hue, plays for The Greens, and my brother coaches the forwards: my loyalties are with 'Muir though. It was on my watch that the proposal to sell part of the fields to Applecross to upgrade school and club facilities first came to the Education Committee. We stuck with it through thick and thin (12 years, I think), faced down the opposition and now the grounds are fantastic. Boroughmuir won 40- 21 (and the score flattered Hawick), a case of men against boys: also the chance to meet many old friends again...can't wait for the England - France semi final tonight. My husband (who is incidentally exuberant about the football result at Hampden) is half English but he is backing the Auld Alliance rather than the Auld Enemy tonight.

I read in the Evening News the half baked excuses from the chair of planning that he was on holiday...that he would have backed the zoo application...that he thinks they'll get it on appeal: this is a scandal. He is the chair of the committee - he shouldn't be on holiday when a planning committee is on - he takes a good responsibility payment for chairing the meetings and should earn it: it is within his power to set the agenda and reschedule contentious issues items - he could not have been unaware of Paul Eadie's opposition and he could have postponed this application till he was present: and we cannot have a situation where the chair ducks responsibility and incurs costs and massive reputational damage to the Council as a result.

Neutrality

Labour Party meeting tonight and, if I may say so, most members think Gordon got it right - nobody fancied an election on a dark November day especially when there was no need.

Interested too, to learn that George Kerevan (another Labour deserter) is to fight Gavin Strang in Edinburgh East for the SNP. It surely can't be right that he's still able to edit the Scotsman? Nobody could believe he's neutral, surely? Or are we asked to believe he can switch off his SNP bias till the election is called? I don't think so. It's the most consistently anti-Labour paper I've read except the Mail and the Independent.

a happy birthday

A nice evening last night...the Taiwanese National Day Celebration at the George Hotel...as usual Jane Cheng was a generous hostess and the golden dragon symbolising good fortune and prosperity was impressively fantastic. Then on to catch the last moments of our 3 year old's birthday party...'Granny, I'm three,' she shrieks dressed as a flower fairy with face painted as a butterfly. Then, when I ask how many times people have sung 'happy birthday' today...'Infinity' she says, trying out a new word and getting it wrong, but I get the idea.

She shares her birthday with Taiwan and my mother (6 February) with New Zealand. ..wonder if the 14 December means anything anywhere..

Regeneration

Pleased to hear that an initiative I started off maybe 15 months ago is beginning to bear fruit - I refer to the Employment Accord in the waterfront (according to the long term forecasts the waterfront over the 20 years of its development will yield 30,000 + jobs) which I pushed to have taken seriously during my time as chair of WEL. The local community was rightly pressing for proof that the development was going to deliver the jobs promised at the start and despite high level consensus about the objective there was no strategy in place to make it happen. So I convened a summit of all the key employment players and from that a working group was developed. Then I persuaded the Waterfront Partnership partners to put their name to it and I understand the whole thing is gathering pace. Of course, it helps that key employers like Morrison's and TIE are prepared to commit and now, the developers and their contractors are joining the party...linking local labour to available jobs and making sure local people are properly trained and able to take advantage of the opportunities...I understand the Waterfront Recruitment Centre in a year of operation has placed 450 local folk into jobs...I want the uplift next year to be exponential
All we need now is the construction academy to be located in the Waterfront (as was mooted during my time on the WEL Board) and with a fresh refocussing through Craigroyston HS and Telford College on making sure local young people are equipped to join , we can be sure that they too can benefit long term from the massive development on their doorstep. I understand we're not too far away from reaching that either!
So, I say well done to everybody involved in keeping this project alive and moving forward. It would be easy for me or any other politician to take the credit but, in truth, it is as much down to those who put in the labour to make the political idea a reality.

Efficiencies

Watched my old mucker Alistair Darling do his job today. At the personal taxation level the biggie is, of course, the rise in inheritance tax to £600k with immediate effect. I can think of at least 1 person of my acquaintance who is in line for a windfall as a result of the retrospective element. Personally, it will make no difference to me. The value of my parent's home (her only asset) does not meet the current level and while it may eventually mean something for my children I sincerely hope it will be a very long time before they benefit.

I am not one of these people worrying about leaving my kids a legacy. I have managed perfectly well without one and they can too. They have been blessed with two parents who loved them, looked after them and equipped them for adult life. They know how to earn their keep, how to work hard and the difference between right and wrong...and they are prepared to accept the consequences if they get it wrong...that seems a more than adequate inheritance to me. And if they get a financial bonus when we cop it then that's all it is...a bonus. I want my kids to earn what they have...not expect a handout either from the State (unless ill-health forces it) or from their mum and dad.

The really BIG story is, of course, the brakes on the growth of public expenditure - this means the public sector is really going to have look at efficiencies: my husband works in the NHS and his observation is that much of the undeniably new money has gone straight into very high salaries for top level staff...I certainly think that's the case in Scottish Education. The massive investment in teachers' salaries has produced nothing tangible...except better paid teachers...not a bad thing in itself...but not enough for the investment involved. Next thing is reducing class sizes to 18...ostensibly massive investment in education but equally obviously better working conditions for teachers...it needs to be tied unequivocally to raised achievements for children.

Only 1 bright spot

A lousy weekend - caught some kind of horrible stomach bug and spent 48 hours in bed or enjoying an over-intimate acquaintance with the loo...not nice

...then Gordon Brown rules out a General Election and brings heaps of the brown stuff down on his head

...then Scotland gets beat by a team they should have defeated

The only bright spot?

Eve was born on Sunday night at 11.04...weighing just shy of 8lbs...her parents are my good pals and I am thrilled

Education- a top priority?

The Leader of the SNP locally takes the biscuit: today's Evening News, 'We will have to go the Scottish Government to secure as much funding as we can because children's education is top priority'...this from the leader of a party whose national leaders have just denied Edinburgh £100 million schools investment, from a leader whose party has just lopped £9 million from the education budget, toppled (flawed) re-investment proposals agreed by his partners and who lamely explained at Council his own child goes 'private'. ...I ask you...

Nimbyism 2

A propos the previous entry, and not being a member of the Planning Committe: I now discover that the Lib/Dem Chair conveniently absented himself from the meeting (ducking a difficult decision? Or disagreeing with his colleagues and afraid to break the Party line? Surely not?) ; that the committee divided strictly down Party lines -Coalition councillors vs the rest (collusion or Party whips? Surely not?); that the Coalition voted against the official recommendation exposing the Council to the risk and cost of a lengthy Public Enquiry with councillors solely responsible for explaining their reasons (NIMBYism, surely not?).

What happens when we get to Mountgrange? Does the Coalition go with Jenny's recorded view and vote against? More nimbyism? More evidence of a Coaliton united in stopping Edinburgh develop?

What a bunch!

NIMBY

Disappointed though unsurprised to learn the Planning Committee has turned down the Zoo's application for some housing to help fund its refurbishment (better declare an interest here since I'm on EDI's Board which has a commercial interest in the plan)

Having visited several so-called 'international' zoos whilst on various holidays, I am struck at how poor an imitation they often turn out to be compared to Edinburgh's. Residents tend to take our zoo for granted but believe me, it is a fantastic resource and visitor attraction. What a pity it might be at risk for lack of funding...what a pity if it does (as has been mooted) move out the city. Planning Committee members need to be alive to the strategic consequences of their decisions. Awful for us all if 'not in my back yard' becomes the policy driver.

Besotted

It's been a PEP day. No meetings at the Chambers but two local meetings and a 'surgery' instead. I threw in the towel at 7.15pm - been out since 7.30 this morning and could take no more.

Local meetings are always worthwhile...there is always something to learn and there were one or two useful titbits tonight which I will follow up.

Home to find the other half glued to Sky Sports European football - Valencia v Chelsea. The man is besotted...I almost wished I'd stayed on at Royston/Wardieburn!

Edinburgh's Education

Marilyne has met Fiona (two girls together, cosy kind of ring to that, don't you think) and what do you know? 'There's just nothing we can do...no money to upgrade the schools. Oh dearie me!' (wringing of hands and worried looks...)

What is Edinburgh's Education boss thinking? She should be demanding the Minister finds the money. That's her job...to stick up for Edinburgh's Education not play her bit part in some immature, naive labour bashing charade...just as it's the Minister's job to wrench money from the cabinet for her service. They're not a pair of wee lassies: they're powerful politicians who should be punching their weight.

And Cllr Maclaren had an open goal to kick at: wasn't it the SNP partners in the Coalition who pulled the rug from beneath her feet on her school rationalisation programme? A bit of political blackmail and rubbing noses in it might have embarassed the Minister just enough to keep the door ajar for more talks. Meanwhile we have all our biggest, most prestigious schools in an unholy mess and no obvious way to sort it. Cllr Maclaren is not daft, not by a long shot, but she has consistently misplayed her hand.

She owes no loyalty to the local SNP...she should have used their treachery to embarass their Holyrood masters...at least she might have won something for Edinburgh. She needs to remember her pact isn't with Salmond inc. Her pact is with the people of Edinburgh. So far, she's let us all down badly.

Bruce Hay

Read in the paper this morning that Bruce Hay has died. He was a great man, straight and true. The kind of man you would want beside you in any struggle. I have known him and his family for many years and have never known him to be anything other than mighty. The world is a poorer place this morning.

Bullying children...

I can confirm: THE CITY IS NOT BANKRUPT!!! Donald McGuigan reported to the Labour Group today and when I asked, he was adamant...he has never declared the city bankrupt and doesn't know where a figure of £58 million came from...could have told you that already but it's always nice to know...my wee new colleague will have to learn the distinction between hyperbole and actuality...

A constituent telephoned tonight: her 17 years old daughter is doing her 6th year at Telford and receives an EMA (educational maintenance allowance, currently £3o per week to help the poorest kids stay on at school). Tomorrow Telford's staff are on strike and all EMA students (inevitably the youngest and most economically disadvantaged) have been advised by the principal that a 'no show' i.e. failure to cross the picket line , will result in them losing the week's grant. As her mother (who doesn't want to be identified for fear of job reprisal) said, 'This is a serious case of bullying children who are the most deprived.' If it is as the mum describes, I concur.

I have written to the Director of Children & Families with full details of the case: I want to know if CEC had a hand in this decision...

macho man

I have had an interesting day much of which falls into the 'confidential' file so can't be discussed here...yet.

Meeting this morning with the local police and other councillors looking at crime trends in Forth. By far and away the highest crime is vandalism - according to the police usually carried out by teenagers, tanked up on alcohol at the weekends [I paraphrase]. There are several iniatives being trialled: bottle marking [where each local store voluntarily marks each bottle it sells with its own distinctive mark so the police can determine where the kids are getting it, then target adult customers at those shops who're buying and passing it on: like asking shops to adopt a voluntary over 21's policy on the assumption it's easier to identify who looks over 21 as opposed to over 18; targeted use of mobile CCTV etc. This seems a very practical approach to take and if it results in less vandalism and improved health for kids then it's a real win win.

A good meeting with Andrew, Ewan and Ian to discuss the education situation: it seems Marilyne is determined to come back with a fresh set of proposals... she is surely sore at the cavalier humiliation she suffered at the hands of the SNP...but it will be heaping problem upon problem to come back so soon. She will earn no brownie points for macho posturing...women never do...better leave that to the men!

quiet on the domestic front

Yesterday afternoon out canvassing in Boswall: picking up local issues which I will progress. Good response...Gordon obviously going down well...Mark thinks there will be a snap General Election, first Thursday in November...groan...

Other than that, a quiet weekend, working, cleaning, gardening...all things domestic