Declaration on Climate Change

Yesterday (16th January), I was greatly privileged to be the first Councillor Leader in Scotland to sign the Local Government climate Change declaration at a ceremony in Towerbank primary school in Portobello (Click here for story) . For me this issue is the most important we face today. All the evidence (not least the weather at Hogmanay) tells us that we, as humans, are damaging our most precious resource, our environment. The debate is over. It is change or die time and it is right that the Council should lead by example. Although I said a few words, two 11 year olds spoke far more eloquently that I could about the need to everyone to take part in the kind of activity that will make a difference. They spoke of how their school had become very energy and waste conscious recycling not just paper but clothes and other items also. They spoke of how they had started to do this at home. They said every choice they made could make a difference. It was a powerful reminder that climate change is in all our hands. In the several interviews I did after the signing I was asked if I thought raising taxes for example, on waste, would be helpful. My view is that berating and punishing people will not work here. This is a hearts and minds debate. Our citizens track record on the recent increase in recycling suggests that with good education and easy processes, people will choose to change. May be too, experiences like Hogmanay will help us all realise that the time has come for action. As one of the wee girls put it, every little does really help.

The Robina Goodlad Trust

One thing I am often lobbied about is cash for small groups. Many voluntary organisations can do great things with small amounts of cash. So when I received the information below about the Robina Goodlad Trust I though what better than to use my blog to pass the word. I didn’t know Robina but my friend did and he really likes the idead that her memory be nurtured in others being given the chance to live our their dream of helping others, I’m told the trust is mainly aimed at Shetland and Glasgow but the trustees are flexible in their approach. The Robina Goodlad Memorial Trust in memory of Robina Goodlad, Professor of Housing and Urban Studies at the University of Glasgow and Co-Director of the Scottish Centre for Research on Social Justice, her family and friends have established a charitable trust. Its purposes are to support: the achievement of social justice, the relief of poverty and the development of communities within deprived areas in Scotland. The Trust intends to make a small number of grants to support activities that serve these purposes. They will consider assisting voluntary, preferably community-based organisations that are seeking to try a new activity or approach. Grants will not be made to individuals. At present, they will consider giving a maximum of £2,000 in assistance (up to £5,000 in exceptional circumstances). At present they would be particularly interested in hearing from groups working in Glasgow or Shetland. However decisions will be entirely at the discretion of the Trustees. We would appreciate a brief discussion or note about your ideas when you make your initial enquiry. Application will then require completion of a simple form. Enquiries should be made to Peter Taylor at:
56, Turnberry Road
Glasgow
G11 5AP
0141 586 7588
peter@pdtaylor.com

McCrone Report

I was dismayed at the recent knee jerk publicity of the report of the Schools inspectors on the so called “McCrone report”, the national agreement with teachers first signed in 2001. The inspectors did not say 'nothing has been achieved', as many papers suggested. What it said was that lots has been achieved but there is still a long way to go, which is true but that's not the same as saying the agreement failed. That's like saying a team behind at half time has lost the game. The agreement paced itself. Not everything was to be done at once and some of the changes need training to go with them and so they will take time to have their effect. We live in such a “instant, just add hot water and stir” world that we expect things to happen over night or suddenly “the ba’s on the slates”. But real, systemic change takes time to happen and to be effective. I have no problem with accountability but what we need here is patience not polemic from those whose real objective is to run state education down for their own political ends.

Implementing the Voucher Scheme

Along with 21 other local authorities and many other public sector bodies, Edinburgh was chastised when one of our employees, a teacher, complained to her MSP. We have very many family friendly policies in the Council but the truth is that whilst work has been going on in recent months so we can implement the voucher scheme very shortly, she is quite right. We should have done it before now. As a father of young children myself I know how hard it is to organise and pay for flexible childcare to cope with the fact that both my wife and I work and my job in particular means long and varied hours. So hands up; the scheme is coming to Edinburgh Council and I will make sure it moves on a fast as possible but it should have happened more quickly.

When is a target not a target?

Everyone agrees that there is a need for parking regulations and that these should be enforced consistently, fairly and impartially. No-one, of course, likes getting a parking ticket. We all feel aggrieved and it is little wonder that complaints about parking generate headlines. When these are made up and bear no relation to the facts it only serves, however, to create public hostility and undermine the parking arrangements that we all agree need to operate.

An Evening News front page suggested that parking attendants are under pressure to issue a set number of tickets. This is quite simply untrue! National Car Parks (NCP) took over Edinburgh’s parking contract last month. I can categorically advise that no quotas exist in the contract. James Pritchard, communications manager for NCP, is just as baffled by this claim. He stated that “we are not set targets by Edinburgh Council so why would we set targets for our own employees?”

The facts of the matter are that income from parking decreased by £465,000 last year. I am completely relaxed about that as no targets are set. Indeed, we are actively pursuing other measures that benefit motorists in Edinburgh and may further reduce the number of parking tickets issued. These include: lengthening the maximum stay in the City Centre to four hours; improved signage to off-street car parking; increased parking spaces; the introduction of business and traders vehicle parking permits; and a five minute grace period after tickets have expired. We do, of course, need to challenge those who park illegally to ensure that: residents can park near their homes; people with disabilities can park close to their destinations; we tackle congestion and facilitate swift journeys for people working in Edinburgh; and for parking spaces near shops to turn over regularly to benefit shoppers and local businesses alike.

Vandalism Video on You-tube

I was told this week of a group of teenagers who smashed up a Burger-King and put a video of their vandalism on You-tube.I am no fan of fast food restaurants but this kind of action is unacceptable. Its wrong to destroy the property of the restaurant and cause fear and terror amongst the staff and customers. Its wrong because once again young people get portrayed as mindless hooligans, and if you tell me, "well folk will know its only a few", the trouble is the good actions of the many won’t make the headlines.It also undermines the integrity of You-tube which is a very democratic telling of modern day life but when its used to glorify this kind of vandalism, it gives it an unearned validity,I just wonder who the role models were who taught these young people that such actions were acceptable?

Hogmanay

The cancellation of Hogmanay was not a happy moment for all involved. Although the right decision was made, my heart sank when I got the call from the staff to say that the decision to cancel had been taken. As ever, we were caught between the rock and the hard place of cancelling too early and then the weather turning for the better and waiting to long and people not having enough time to make other arrangements. I don’t know that we will ever get that one absolutely right.The "you should have had a plan B brigade" clearly have no idea what it takes to organise this kind of even. You can’t have another venue on stand by. That would cost huge amounts of cash and apart from Murrayfield, there's nowhere big enough and the dynamics of a stadium concert are not the same as the outdoor city centre experience, which is what makes Edinburgh’s Hogmanay so unique.But there are things we can do. So much of the problem lies in the temporary nature of the stages. What creative way we can overcome that then becomes the question. Clearly the replacement for the Ross bandstand will help but we need other city centre performance spaces too. The running of Edinburgh’s Hogmanay goes back out to tender in the spring and I will be looking for innovation and creative answers to the need for safer, more robust performance spaces and other ideas that can make our Hogmanay experience better and better despite our unpredictable Scottish weather.

Saddam Hussein

This year will end with the image of the moments before Saddam Hussien’s execution flashing around the world, a tyranny with a noose around his neck and masked guards moving quickly to make sure his death is not somehow avoided at the last minute.

Though killed in the name of justice and there is no doubt that he needed to be brought to account, the method by which he was called to account has demeaned the justice that rightly placed him in the dock.

Saddam was guilty of heinous crimes against humanity. Of that there is little doubt. But the death penalty used against anyone, even Saddam Hussien, is an admission of failure. It says we shall stop seeing the guilty as human. Instead we shall do to them what we objected to them doing to us. When we give up on some-one, anyone, even a terrible tyrant like Saddam, in that way, we give up on ourselves

There will be much debate as to whether Saddams’ death will solve any of the problems Iraq needs to overcome to have a real democratic future. The manner of his death at our hands, (be not fooled by the “it wusny me” actions of the regime that handed him over to the Iraqi’s a mere 25 minutes before his execution), will mean that democratic and just solution is much further away with many more deaths in its path.