Hogmanay

2007 has been a big year.

A grandson born, an election won (and lost), a son married, a brother married, 3 good friends died, one new friend made, cancer beaten - then throw into the mix, difficult challenges at work, a house fire, my mother only now recovering after a long period of ill-health, a dog lost and returned and millions more wee trials and tests and it is safe to say it's not a year I will forget easily.

For Labour it has been a year with destiny - and one we need to learn serious messages from. We can never be more Scottish than the Scot Nats; never be more Tory than the Tories; never be more individualistic than the Lib Dems: nor be more green than the Greens. Tony Blair's great rainbow coalition of interests has been shattered and Labour needs to rediscover its unique selling point - no-one can be more socially just than us, more caring for the many or be more prepared to stand up against inequality and injustice. It is time to regroup and rethink - it is time, once again, to start with what we stand for.

Edinburgh is facing up to a new destiny too. Facing strong competition from Glasgow to be Scotland's first city and with a city council driven by a coalition of self interest, indecision and posturing it won't be long before the wheels fall off the wagon.

It won't be at the budget for already it seems that the Liberals have all but caved in to SNP demands - it won't be at school closures or at anything the Council has to decide because, truthfully, the two ruling parties will always find a fudge that let's them stay in charge. They have already opted for the 'do nothing' strategy, the 'wait and see and something might crawl out the woodwork' option.

So we will wait and wait till the wheels will fall of the wagon when the cupboard marked 'strategic decisions' is bare, when there are no ambitious plans left by the previous administration to complete - when all the big decisions are being taken elsewhere or by other people, when it will be clear our council is an irrelevance - and we will wake up to find actually we don't need the council to set the council tax (that's being done by the Scottish executive), or to develop the city (that's being done by Forth Ports) or to build major transport links (ditto Scottish executive) etc. etc. And at the same time Glasgow will have pulled ahead as a result of huge national investment (in the Commonwealth games) and focussed leadership...

To reprise a famous election anthem, things can only get better!

Happy New year to all my readers - I know there are a lot of you out there 'coz you tell me so - - I wish you all the best for 2008

Our world's security

My twenty years old nephew visited at Christmas. He is an Oxford undergraduate studying maths and physics. I thought of him when the news came through last night that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is to wear his mother's mantle. I wondered at the maturity of so young a man and the burden he is to carry. Faced with the death of his mother and the end of his life as he has known it, all in the space of 48 hours - and now to know he risks his mother's fate every moment he lives - it is unimaginable. The expedience of politics: to raise him up to carry the PPP standard: to capitalise on his mother's name - I feel sorry for the man boy.

It is a sobering thought, though: the security of our world tied so closely to his future. He will never be a boy again.

Exremism triumphs

I am shocked at the murder of Benazir Bhutto. We are the same age and I have followed her career closely. To me, she represented the triumph of moderation over extremism.
In contrast, yesterday's foul crime represents a triumph of extremism.

Life has dealt her the same hand as so many of her dynastic family. I suppose our only modern western parallel is the Kennedy family and just as the authorities were helpless to prevent those assassinations, so the Pakistani authorities were helpless in the face of the unknown fanatic.

I fear the US and the West has no other option but to trade with President Musharraf now - there are no democratic credentials in his weaponry but it will be a case of the 'devil you know'. The situation is grave for the world. Wringing hands in grief and worry seems appropriate.

It's over for another year

That's it for another year: Christmas Day was lovely. Quiet yet busy - and full of family. Santa was extremely generous...all gifts very acceptable and everybody seemed to like theirs too. Best moment was our 3 years old granddaughter on opening her doll's house which granny and grandad had so painstakingly painted and decorated - pink and cream...a wee girl's dream. She was speechless but her oh so expressive eyes said it all.

Then, the party yesterday - only one real miscreant who drank far too much, the food was well received as was the musical interlude...this morning the house is a complete shambles: I didn't know I had so many glasses or plates not recommended for use in the dishwasher - so they are stacked high waiting for manual washing - not my forte - and since both Mike and I are working today they will be there awaiting his return. I will plod on with clearing up, putting furniture back, hoovering & mopping - but first I'm away to PEP. Never felt less like it in my life!

Anachronism or Inequality?

I am surprised that Tony Blair's decision to convert to Catholicism has provoked such a storm. It would have caused a tsunami if he'd done it 7 months ago - challenging the anachronism (and inequality) of a rule that says there can be no Cathlic PM in the UK. No such restrictions for the Moslem or Jew, Hindu, Buddhist or Atheist.

Christmas is almost here and I am very lucky

Christmas is in sight now...I know this since I have been forced into all the jobs like window cleaning, shifting furniture to dust behind it etc which a strict Presbyterian working class upbringing (polish your shoes every day, always match underwear in case you get knocked down etc.) forces on you - if I had a coal fire it would be a case of sweeping the lum...fortunately mine's is a gas flame affair.

Christmas Day promises to be quiet - only 4 for dinner.

Boxing Day is another matter altogether. We have 70 people plus 4 dogs coming to party. The annual Maginnis/Scammell family bash involves many brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and various other branches...the youngest is 18 months, the eldest 80 years. Last year the centrepiece was a huge family competition based on Who Wants to be a Millionaire. This year, the many musicans are bringing their preferred instrument and we will be entertained by an impromptu jam session...it will be noisy and chaotic but, I am sure, fun. My son, who has perfect pitch, has promised to bring along his drum kit too...I am trying to persuade him otherwise.

Monday will be spent cooking Wednesday's feast - as you can deduce, I wonder why I am wasting my time doing all the cleaning - the house will be a shambles again by Thursday!

Today I am working at PEP - we have many vulnerable service users who will be alone over Christmas and we have decided on part time opening over the holidays with a much abbreviated staffing level. We expect about 7 people in, though there may be more. It is a sobering thought ...being on your own at Christmas, because you have nobody.

I am very lucky.

Ding dong merrily on high

Council meeting yesterday went on for an awful long time to not much effect. Perhaps the only two debates worth mentioning...Meadowbank and The National Concordat...both highly attributable to the SNP.
Meadowbank is going nowhere and if it wasn't for the amusement of watching the Administration dancing on the point of a thousand hot needles there would be nothing to smile about at all.
Now, I will be the first to admit Labour's decision in the dog days of the last Administration to review the plans for Meadowbank has contributed to the current debacle...if we had remained resolute in the teeth of local hostility the plans would have gone ahead ...it wouldn't have been good community politics but it certainly would have moved the agenda forward...and if the new Administration had accepted the recommendations of the Christie Inquiry then the plans would have gone ahead too... but they bottled their chance too.
So now, due to the vacillation of councillors of all parties, the city's sports strategy is in tatters - you can't blame folk for thinking the City of Edinburgh Council couldn't run a church tombola!

The National Concordat is an illusion of democracy: over the twenty years I have been in local government there has been attempt after attempt by Central Government to circumscribe the autonomy of local government: rate capping; sending in the commissionars; local government re-organisation - you name it...and short of actually scrapping local government altogether...they've tried it! But the Tartan Tories...oops I mean the SNP...have come up with the best wheeze of all...they'll now set local government spending priorities and they'll set 100% of local government income...we are one short step away from scrapping councils altogether

Ding dong merrily on high!

Developments

Economic Development Committee today - worthy but dull...only 2 moments of excitement - the first, the convenor agreed to withdraw the item on Newbridge on the pretext of an official complaint by Margaret Smith - frankly I think she was daft to complain...it's more than likely the Econ Dev committee would have voted to overturn the official recommendation anyway and she would have got what she wanted without further delay...and it's not very likely anybody is going to find the officials acted improperly...everything is open to interpretation and officials are ultra cautious by nature...I find the conspiracy theory awfully hard to swallow.

And secondly, it turns out Colin Hunter's job is to go to open competition in the Spring - which I think is a poor show and pretty mean reward for all his excellent work. After all, look at the results open competition produced both times before!

Various

Spoke too soon! I find I have missed two crucial presents - brother in law and grandson...so it's out again to the shops - a nightmare...

The Labour Group meeting this afternoon was, as usual, a protracted affair (hands up, I'm as guilty as the rest for wanting my worth of tuppences) - three and a half hours though: we're definitely in for the long haul.

Tomorrow is the Economic Development Committee - I have received a couple of communications from Margaret Smith MSP complaining about the process used by officials in the Newbridge situation - she makes a series of pretty serious allegations about lack of due process and deliberate manipulation of the facts by officials...it's pretty unheard of and I'll be interested to know how Andrew Holmes will respond to the criticism.

Finally, the newly weds invited us to dinner last night and very pleasant it was too...

Christmas

A great birthday yesterday though slightly spoiled by a car crash (more a bump) which upset my mum and knocked what was anyway shaky composure on a difficult day into something worse. Then the little b who was responsible drove away without leaving his details ...but I got his registration...and unless he was driving a stolen car he will be traced.

I see the story of the £400 million black hole in the capital budget has hit the headlines...at somepoint the administration will have to dump its NIMBY attitude to development, irrespective of the impact on local councillors in their local areas, otherwise our capacity to act will really shrink to £23 million.

Also, had a good meeting with Colin Hunter at WEL last week - really pleased to see things moving along steadily and competently. He is a good man and an able officer. The Board should be delighted to have him.

Today, I'm off for the very last of those 44 presents - the credit card had burned and bombed. I'll be glad to stop spending...at least for a wee while.

It's hard work

Pleased to hear Dave Anderson has secured the top development job in the city - he is a good man and is very practical. It will be interesting to see how he rises to the challenge.

PEP's pantomime went well - 93 paying customers and another 40 or so in the cast or helping - a very busy evening and my deputy manager, Helen, is entitled to feel very pleased with herself - a minor triumph. Only 1 more PEP event...the Christmas dinner and party ...oh blimey it slips off the tongue easily enough but man! It's hard work.

My birthday tomorrow and the fourth anniversary of my dad's death. Time has moved quickly but he remains, sharp in my mind. I miss him.

Meadowbank

Excitement at Trinity Community Council last night when we learned, tantalisingly, that no land will be sold to facilitate the upgrading of Meadowbank Stadium...but resources will be found 'elsewhere' which presumably means selling off other assets...now, I wonder what that could be?

Aaiee: I am dead!

Can't believe my last post was Wednesday - just shows how time flies.
On Thursday we had a gathering of Labour Party members for a Christmas get-together and a house fire: microwave burst into flames, belching smoke - amusing for the guests and certainly a topic of conversation - me, I'm not so amused...been painting ever since but the house stinks of acrid smoke...as the Germans used to cry in the Victor when they had been mortally wounded, 'Aaiee, I am dead.' That's precisely how I feel...the living dead.

Only one crumb of comfort: at least Wendy Alexander, with her manoeuvre on the constitutional debate, has managed to leave the SNP isolated on a big political issue, rather than us - the anti-Labour alliance has been pretty robust since May...maybe, just maybe, she has insinuated Labour a little nearer to the heart of the agenda...but with all this 'donorgate' stuff still rolling on, it is difficult to see her getting out the mire.

NEETs falling through nets

It's just gone 6pm and my feet have not touched the ground today...meeting after meeting and not finished yet. Once more to go, Royston/Wardieburn Community Centre have asked me to join them at their committee meeting to discuss their recent visit from Marilyne Maclaren, Convenor of Children & Families. Obviously they are concerned her visit portended doom...I will be interested to hear their account of her visit.

Today I was at another local meeting looking at employment for local people. Much of the discussion centred on the situation for young people whose lives (and their community) are blighted because they are without training or employment. Sometimes I think we make it too complicated...it seems a relatively easy thing to ask schools to release the names of anybody aged 14-16 who is not attending school and who is at risk...then you assign them mentors who have the responsibility to engage with the young person either individually or in small groups. Instead we have large numbers of kids (I have asked to have the numbers quantified for North Edinburgh) who drop out and though huge effort is expended by many agencies, it is too late.

This is as frustrating for me now as it was when I was Education Convenor. I heard all about 20:20 and this strategy and that strategy...the point is, the kids are still falling through the net and we seem powerless to really do anything about it.

A leper colony, almost

Been a busy old week and set to get busier. I have looked at my diary and there is no free night or weekend till 22 December. I promise I will wilt long before then.

Sunday was the day before Mike's 57th birthday so it was a celebratory brunch for the family who almost overstayed their welcome.
Yesterday was PEP, constituency surgery then taking me old ma out to do her Christmas shopping...didn't get home till after 8pm so it was a long day.
Today, more PEP then a West Pilton/West Granton Community Council tonight. That was an interesting meeting: Allan Jackson managed to get a TIE, city development and planning official all into the same room at the same time in order that the community could quiz them about the access road. He deserves a medal for perseverance (I bet he was a BB when he was a lad).

The upshot is that TIE hasn't yet agreed to the amendment in their business plan that's needed to allow the access road to stay open permanently. Understandably, this caused a furore. Without the access road the West Pilton community is coralled through bad streetscape design within tight narrow boundary roads - effectively cut off from all main arterial routes and no direct way into the new waterfront. A leper colony, almost. And that's just plain wrong and needs to be designed out.

At my suggestion TIE has agreed to come back within the month with a cost tag to amending the current proposal and transport has agreed to come up with a 'community appraisal' that looks at what happens in terms of community and environmental impact if the access road isn't kept open. I haven't given up on the possibility of changing minds - when a cause is right then right thinking people can generally be persuaded to support it.