Edinburgh politics

[henry_the_cow]

Proportional Representation has wielded its axe in Scotland, with the inevitable and intended result that most councils have no overall control. Here in Edinburgh South I voted Green for both the council and the parliament and was fortunate enought to get a Green member in both cases. (Not that I agree with everything they say but at least they take global warming seriously).

The elected councillors now have to negotiate a coalition. This will prove interesting for several major projects that the outgoing Labour administration were planning, including:

• On-road trams, linking Leith and Princes St. to the airport
• A rail station at the airport, linking to Fife and Stirling as well as Edinburgh
• Replacing Meadowbank Stadium with a new stadium in Sighthill
• A major redevelopment in the Old Town
  

Like many British cities, Edinburgh has seen a lot of redevelopment over the last 10 years or so. Most of this has been pretty good for the city, although the developments have varied in how well they have fitted into the surrounding architecture - some have done this well, others less so. It will be interesting to see whether the new council does better or worse. The SNP are opposed to trams and the railair link (which will require funding from the Holyrood budget, so the likely SNP-led parliament will affect this too). The liberal democrats and others are critical of the other two schemes and these may well be scaled back.

We'll be particularly interested in how they handle the space crisis at our local primary school. The council have rebuilt or refurbished many schools over the last ten years but our school was not included becuase no suitable land could be found. Now the space problems have grown and the council will have to deal with it somehow.

Comments

[inuitmonster.livejournal.com]

what do the SNP have against the trams?

[henry_the_cow]

I'm not entirely sure. I think they believe it will be poor value for money and will increase congestion because the tram will for the most part be running on the same roads as other traffic.

Personally, I think we should fill in the canal and run trams along that route, so they'll be separate from the roads. That'll never happen, because people are sentimental about canals.

[inuitmonster.livejournal.com]

I don't know about Edinburgh, but I don't think filling in the canals would be a popular policy with the swans and ducks who breed on it.

[nonesuchhouse.livejournal.com]

Shame on you Henry the Cow, I hereby ban you from the holiday bonanza fun that is...

http://www.millenniumlink.org.uk/

Tisk, tisk.

[henry_the_cow]

I'd quite happily build a marina at the bypass for the rowers, ducks, holiday-makers, etc. It's only through town that I'd replace the canal with something more useful ;-)

[moz-attics.livejournal.com]

Probably alone in this, but I think the worst decision ever made (in recent industrial history) was to stop building canals. If every motorway in the country now had a canal running alongside it, we'd live in a much quieter place. No car transporters, no Comet lorries, etc etc. And the response to "but I need the BMW to be delivered in Edinburgh this Tuesday, not next Wednesday"? Well, it's "stop whining and be patient, maggot."

As for trams, well, there's plenty of room on most main streets for a tram track and two car lanes (with passing places for trams at junctions). Wherever there's a bus lane, there can be a tram. In my fantasy world, trams would also be fitted with roof-mounted Bofors guns to allow tram guards to take out Hummers/4x4's/mobile ghetto blasters impeding the tram's progress.

Seriously, I think where transport is concerned, we actually need a Draco - tyrant of Athens, as opposed to Malfoy. Someone who is prepared and able to ignore the demands of the citizenry, and just do what is needed. As long as we give two hoots what car drivers want, nothing will ever be accomplished.

[bolshy-spice.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but first past the post is NOT democratic AFAIC. Personally I was disappointed that they didn't use the single transferable vote (1,2,3,4....) for electing the Scottish Parliament. At least bringing it in for the councils is a step forward.

We've used it in Ireland for years and nobody in Ireland complains about it being too complicated.

[henry_the_cow]

I wasn't saying PR was a bad thing.

Actually for a bicameral system I'd use the condorcet system for one and a pure PR for the second. That would more likely to give a defined outcome for the house that makes the budget, tempered by a pure PR for the second.