Mrs Warren's Profession

I went to see a great show on Saturday night at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Mrs Warren's Profession. It's one of George Bernard Shaw's earliest plays. Because of it's subject matter (prostitution, though its really a critique of middle class morality ) it caused quite a scandal when it was first published and performed.
We may be more open to performances in plays, films, literature about sex, the debate about prostitution continues to cause anguish in our middle class hearts and souls, none more so than the discussions over tolerance zones.
I have to say that it took me a long time to think this through myself.
I don't condone prostitution, I would not want it legalised and I am unconvinced by those who say "its my choice", but I have come to the conclusion that, especially given the levels of trafficking in women, we need to find ways of regulating its practice even if we don't like it's existence. That is why the legislation going through parliament must focus first on the men who solicit and those who pimp and then on giving local authorities the chance to run things like tolerance zones.
Its not easy but driving the sex industry further underground will not protect the women and will mean that we will be even less likely to be able to have the rational debate Shaw tried to have when he wrote his play some hundred plus years ago.

STV

I spent 6 hours walking round my ward on Friday. It was great to get the chance to both hear how folk were feeling and remind myself that its the voters in the ward and no-one else, who will decide if I have a job come May 3rd. Their concerns remain the same as ever, feeling safe, quality of housing, ease of getting about, etc.
There were many compliments about the barrow beat I managed to get for the area and the new playpark in Lochend Park. Two other things were common; No-one understands the new voting system and its in danger of putting folk off voting and no-one wants us to do a deal with the Tories because the one thing they do know is that there will be a coalition.
The second one is easy. I didn't go into elected politics to do deals with the Tories. Individually many of them are nice people but their politics are an anathema to me.
The second is more difficult. The parties can do their bit but if the Executive don't get a real and effective education campaign on PR going and soon then we are in danger of being in the ironic situation of our new, fairer voting system excluding people by its very implementation. Not a clever place to be.

"Road Test" Our Manifesto

I decided that I should "road test" our manifesto with various groups before it launches in March. It hadn't been done before but perhaps thats why I decided to do it. Face the people first seemed a good maxim.

The first two meetings were this week. First a group of students and a group from the voluntary sector.

I had no control over who attended and the venue also was in their hands.

Both meetings were positive about our agenda but had their hard questions. The students liked the many environmental pledges we will be making. Amongst the most popular were cycle lanes on all main roads, increased support for buses, (but they wanted much more support for student travel), our commitment to investing in locally produced green fuel and to give businesses support and accreditation for using green fuel. They would like to see added in no quotas on Houses of Multiple occupation and big improvements in recycling for tenements.

The Voluntary organisation were both positive but perhaps even more challenging. Despite a commitment to developing a method of "core funding" voluntary organisations, they pushed hard on us recognising just how much the voluntary sector does in our city. I think that they are right and that we must do much more to acknowledge in word and action their role in the city

There was much much more from both groups but I enjoyed the experience and I am looking forward to the next meetings in a few days time

Who knows if I have persuaded them to vote Labour but whatever they decide, they know that they were given an opportunity to influence our thinking in a way no other party has ever done before.

Creative Scotland Should Stay in Edinburgh

I gave a speech today to a group of Edinburgh business people and public sector managers arguing that the new body to support the arts (Creative Scotland) should stay in Edinburgh.

This is not an Edinburgh Glasgow thing, Its a Capital City thing. Scotland needs a strong Capital City. Scotland's Capital is the driving force of the economy. At the heart of its economic strength is its festivals and cultural life. That cultural life is world renowned. Why would you put the body supposed to shape and drive that cultural life away from its heartland which would undermine the capital as a capital city and the economic driver for the nation?

I offered a solution which would put EventsScotland, VisitScotland and Creative Scotland all in the same building offering an unparalleled opportunity for joined up working, sharing of back office functions and the chance to contribute to the much needed regeneration of the Waterfront of Edinburgh.

Seems like a no brainer to me but you would expect me to say that, wouldn't you!

The New System of Voting

There around 70 or so days to go and campaigning has really begun in earnest. The big fear I have is that the new system of voting will confuse, not because folk are stupid but because its not only different from before but the system for the Scottish parliament is different from the local election.

The Scottish parliament constituency vote uses a cross, the additional or list members vote uses numbers against party lists and the local government election is numbers against individuals.

You couldn't make this up!

I did find a brilliant explanation of how local government elections work under STV on a website by Moray Youthstart. http://www.youthstart.org/STV/ . Its worth a look. Although its aimed at young people its the best explanation I have seen. reminds me of being in the parish when people used to say they got more from the children's address than from the sermon, but lets not go there!

Our Manifesto

Our manifesto is nearly finished but I have decided that, before we go public we should “road test” it six different community groups before its final publication and launch in March.

This is the first time that these kinds of groups, (the voluntary sector, young people, faith communities, students, environmental groups and the trade unions) will have had the opportunity to comment on and shape an Edinburgh Labour manifesto before publication.

I said I would try to involve more people in decisions about our priorities when I was elected leader and this is me trying to do what I promised I would do. I will have no control over who attends each of these events and I expect the conversations to be robust and frank, but I wouldn’t want it any other way. There is no point in trying to meet people's aspirations in a manifesto if you haven’t met them face to face in the first place

Council Tax at 1.5%

So after a tough few weeks I decided that we should keep council tax as low as possible but that 0% was a bit irresponsible. Hence 1.5%, or 33p a week.

I have tried to meet the as many of the aspirations of Edinburgh’s citizens though the truth is we can’t keep everyone happy. Our budget will keep more money in people's pockets and see more police on the streets, more money for schools, the vulnerable of all ages, creativity and the arts, roads, pavements, the environment, to support the economy, more spaces for kids to play and lots of other things that people want but I am sure that there will still be things we aren’t doing or we could do better.

Edinburgh’s Lib Dems wanted to increase council tax by 2.5%. This comes on top of the 4% hike proposed last year compared with Labour’s 2.3%. They are preparing the way for their pet Local Income Tax Scheme which would be even more costly for average taxpayers – with a couple on average wages paying over £300 a year more. In Council their leader, Cllr Jenny Dawe said “The Lib Dems are champions of the local income tax to raise more funds from local people!” which was a bit worrying!

They also wanted to increase Council house rents by 7.4%, compared with Labour’s 6%, as did the Tories

Like the Lib Dems the Tories posed a tax increase higher than Labour at 2.5%. It is clear that the grass roots simply don’t know how to react to Cameron’s leadership. There was nothing to encourage schools to go green and save energy, nothing to support jobs and the economic development of our city in the Waterfront and City Centre, and nothing beyond the current year.

It probably just goes to show how much coalition politics, though a fairer representation of views, will be a much harder way to make decisions.

Climate Change,the Stern Report and Dog Fouling

I read this week of a climate change expert who has moved his family to higher ground because he thinks we are past the point of no return. Someone said to me that they believed the Stern report which the government commissioned on climate change is basically saying we are heading for the stone age and we should all stop worrying about recycling and flying and instead practice our survival skills. Personally I refuse to give up like that but its hard when you get idiots like the fool who wrote into the local paper last week and said that it was his right to drive three cars and so what if they were “gas guzzlers” (his words)? I would like him to come and tell my children why his gas guzzlers are more important than their lungs. I would like him to to go to every school in the city and tell the pupils why his right to gas guzzlers is more important than their future. The car is not a bad invention. Used well and thoughtfully it can and does enhance lives. There are people whose livelihoods depend on them and any transport policy should reflect that also. But the sheer sick selfishness in that letter made me want to weep. Yet again this week I had folk at my surgery complaining about dog fouling. They rightly made the point that there are very few if any stray dogs in the area (thanks in part to our wardens). This means the owners are letting them use our common space as a toilet. My constituents are right to be angry and I share their anger. How would the dog owners who don’t clean up after their dogs like it if we went and defecated in their garden or front room.That may sound disgusting and I have no intention of doing such a thing but that's how ignorant it is not to clean up after your dog.

The Reading Champion

One of the things I really enjoy about being a parent is reading to my kids. I have no doubt that they would tell you that I don’t do it enough as I am “always out at a meeting” but when I get to do it, its brilliant. For many young people, especially those in care, reading has sadly become something to be avoided. I came across a project called the Reading Champion we’ve started which I hope will change this a wee bit anyway. The Reading Champion project employs a Project Worker to carry out reader development work with care staff, Library staff and looked after children and young people, using multi media collections in the centres as the main resource for reader development activity. The project aims to improve long term opportunities to access books, reading and library services for approximately 150 looked after children and young people, care staff and others with limited access to books and reading.The long term aim of the project is to effect a ‘cultural change’ which will see staff promoting reading activity as a normal activity in the centres. The project is funded by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation for 30 months with match funds from the City of Edinburgh Council Children and Families and Culture and Leisure departments

Budget Day Looms.

Budget day looms. Its been at the heart of my thinking for the last few weeks and certainly on my mind for much longer. Its strange to think that the total budget is around £1.2b and a 1% increase in Council tax raises around £2m which is a tiny part of the whole budget. Yet there will be much more debate about the few percentage points one way or another on the council tax than there will on much of the rest of the budget detail. It is at budget time more than any when the tension between the public's desire for politicians to take a long term view and their hope that we will make a short term decision is most exposed.

Susan Ward - British Young Teacher of the Year

We had a civic reception for Susan Ward the British young teacher of the year whom I wrote about before. It was great to see her and many of her friends and colleagues as well as her family there as the city recognised her achievements. In Scotland we are too often reticent about celebrating the achievements of individuals. Some suggest that its our deep rooted Calvinism that warns us from self glorification. That might be helpful when it comes to questioning those who seek fame for its own sake but should not stop us saying well done to folk like Susan and the many others who give so much of themselves in service to others and should be allowed to enjoy some real recognition. It was a teacher that inspired me to stay on at school at a time when I was having a really tough time. In many ways it wasn’t how he taught his subject matter, it was simply that he treated me like a person, like I mattered. We cannot quantify the effect teachers and other adults who look after our children have. The seeds they plant can take years to grow. Yet those seeds will be as important in many ways as the things we do use to tell us whether our teachers are doing the job we ask of them.

Charging for Meal Preparation

After 3 duff attempts by the Scottish executive to give us advice that would have meant we could charge for meal preparation as part of the otherwise excellent free personal care package , we now have QC's advice that we can’t. Clearly the ministers intention and the civil service drafters of legislation were not singing from the same song sheet. Its going to cost us around £1m a year and over £2m in back payments but frankly its the right thing to do. Its a real pain that we have been let down by the Executive in this way but I refuse to end up in court with a case over some wee pensioner who just needs looked after and not caught in some expensive legal battle over who pays for her dinner to get cooked. Only the lawyers win in these cases.

Lib Dem Councillor supports BNP

I was amazed to discover that in Burnley Council, the Lib Dems have been supporting the BNP! Apparently in December, local Lib Dem Councillor John Jones chose to vote for the BNP candidate Sharon Wilkinson for an influential seat on the local regeneration board which is not unlike our Community Planning Partnerships, soon to become our Neighbourhood Partnerships. The local newspaper 'Burnley Today' has a serious discussion through the letters pages between local residents and the Lib Dem Councillor (click here for discussion). Apparently, the BNP candidate was the best option "because she really cares about her local community." My understanding of BNP policy is that its your skin colour that defines whether you are worth caring for! It seems to me that in some cases Lib Dem desire for power can prove nothing short of dangerous.