There's just no doubt that the Evening News has the scoop of the day!
Elaine Morris' defection puts the SNP Group back up to 12 Members, given the earlier departure of David Beckett ... so, current Elected Member numbers are:
Lib-Dem - 16
Lib-Dem - 16
Labour - 15
SNP - 12
Tory - 11
I'm currently aware of 6-candidates standing:
John CARSON - Independent
John CARSON - Independent
Karen DORAN - Scottish Labour
Alistair HODGSON - Lib-Dem
Melanie MAIN - Green
Iain McGILL - Tories
Alasdair RANKIN - SNP
All assuming that Alistair Hodgson doesn't jump ship before 18th August??
All assuming that Alistair Hodgson doesn't jump ship before 18th August??
More seriously, one noteworthy point about Elaine Morris' defection today is the reported comment that she had been in discussions with the local SNP for more than a month - so when she voted on Thursday 30th June to press ahead with the tram project as far as St. Andrew Square, she knew that she was going to abandon the Lib-Dems ...
... that decision on the 30th June was carried by a single vote.
10 comments:
This is just the sort of thing that angers the electorate - she stood as a LibDem and people voted for her as such. She should HAVE to resign and force a by-election if she wants to change parties. No debate about it - it should be a rule. If her personal vote / sticking to her principles is in accordance with the electorate then she'll get re-elected.
Not to mention the fact she voted for the trams (presumably - still not seen the voting figures anywhere. Are they public?) and now wants to change sides.
Jon
I agree - very, very frustrating.
I did post the links for the relevant Tram Meeting Minute a while ago ... I'll repeat it here:
--- yes there is a public record: you can see it all here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/2470/city_of_edinburgh_council
- and the specific minute of the actual meeting is here:
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/32902/minute_30_june_2011
- you'll see the report on the Tram vote from page 22 of that PDF onwards.
As you'll see the Lib-Dems pushed though the St. Andrew Square option by 1 vote.
Evening News reported on the meeting here:
http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/topstories/Council-backs-tram-line-from.6794304.jp?articlepage=1
Hope that's all helpful.
Andrew
Thanks Andrew - and sorry I seemed to have missed your previous posting - seem to remember getting notified when there were further updates following a comment, but maybe that isn't the case on blogger - should have come back to check anyway !
So on the voting, as recorded no-one voted against the LibDem motion? Did all the others abstain? And is there no detailed voting record for councillors like there is in Parliament?
Jon
Really sorry if that wasn't all clear - if you go to page 22 of the minute and scroll down, you'll see all the various Amendments --- and eventually you'll see (on page 30) the result of the voting ...
... I'll repeat that section here, in a minute, but basically what you'll see is 16 Libs voting for the Motion (Cllr Laing wasn't present - ill in hospital); 15 Labs voting for Amendment 1; 12 Nats voting for Amendment 2; 8 Tories voting for Amendment 3 (three weren't present by the time of the vote); and 3 Greens for Amendment 4.
After the lowest Amendment fell, each Party abstained - Greens, then Tories, then Nats.
It came down to 16 Lib votes against 15 Labour votes and the Motion by Cllr Mackenzie therefore passed by 1 vote --- thus my ire, as 1 of those votes was Cllr. Morris :-(
Anyhow - here's the text from page 30 ... I'll maybe do a separate post about it tomorrow if I get time!
Hope this helps ...
Voting
In a first vote between the motion and the amendments, the voting was as follows:
For the motion - 16 votes
For amendment 1 - 15 votes
For amendment 2 - 12 votes
For amendment 3 - 8 votes
For amendment 4 - 3 votes
As there was no overall majority, amendment 4 which had received the fewest votes fell and, in a second vote, the voting between the motion and amendments 1, 2 and 3 was as follows:
For the motion - 16 votes
For amendment 1 - 15 votes
For amendment 2 - 12 votes
For amendment 3 - 8 votes
As there was no overall majority, amendment 3 which had received the fewest votes fell and, in a third vote, the voting between the motion and amendments 1 and 2 was as follows:
For the motion - 16 votes
For amendment 1 - 15 votes
For amendment 2 - 12 votes
As there was no overall majority, amendment 2 which had received the fewest votes fell and, in a fourth vote, the voting between the motion and amendment 1 was as follows:
For the motion - 16 votes
For amendment 1 - 15 votes
Decision
To approve the motion by Councillor Gordon Mackenzie.
Sorry Andrew, just caught up with this again.
To clarify the way the voting works and is recorded - there is no final 'for and against the final motion' vote?
Previously my experience of votes on a motion would be that there would be votes to accept or reject specific amendments and then a final vote on the motion (with any accepted amendments). The voting as recorded doesn't seem to describe a final vote. And the SNP still seem to be saying they have consistently voted against the trams. Did councillors have the opportunity to vote against the LibDem motion or is the way the council works now that there must be an alternative course of action and without that option, the proposed action (in this case the LibDems tram motion) goes through?
Jon
There was a final vote - and we lost it 16 to 15, with the SNP, Tories and Greens all abstaining on that final vote!
Apologies again if I didn't explain it properly ...
... and frankly, the SNP claiming they have consistently voted against the trams is a feeble half-truth. They run the Council!
Andrew
Thanks for that - although these things are in the public domain, I feel our media doesn't do a good job of reporting them - which is why the SNP seem to get away with their claims to have consistently opposed the trams in the face of he opposition of all the other parties...
Noted!
Post a Comment