U-turn if you want to ...

The most definite smell of burning rubber emanating from Tory High Command throughout today ...

... I know I'm biased, but all of a sudden there is an air of serious nervousness about their apparent economic strategy for the upcoming General Election?

Allotment update!

Managed to get a bit of time down at the allotment this afternoon - weather was really glorious, and everything feels like its really about to start moving ...

... looks remarkably tidy, don't you think :-)

'B' for broadcast :-(

Well, that 'B' Agenda item from yesterday's meeting did pick up significant local press attention - here ...

... and it appears to have whipped up a bit of a storm on some Army notice-boards as well!

A classic case of 'how to make friends and influence people' :-(

Full Council day ...

Council Meeting did indeed prove to be a very short event - finished just after 1pm!

... most significant divisions were on the horrendously rushed workforce management proposals, and on the 'B' agenda item, which I'm certain will pick up further press coverage given the nature of the topic discussed :-(

On a lighter note - numerous colleagues kept asking if I was okay, due to the lack of posting on the blog ... so, shamed into action, I'll make sure its a bit more up to date as soon as practically possible :-((

Local surgery tonight

Local surgery tonight, at Fountainbridge Library - attendance now starting to pick up again following the winter-break and that spell of atrocious weather ...

... still getting complaints about bin collection issues :-(

Full Council week ...

Full Council this coming Thursday - main Group Meeting tonight to go through the various papers ... agenda here; and individual reports on CPOL (as usual).

I'll regret this prediction - but looks like a really remarkably light agenda to me?

Budget-mania (again!)

Never mind the annual Burns Supper - we're all now fully in the grip of the annual budget-mania ...

... roll on the 11th February with all the uncertainty that awaits the final outcome on the day :-((

Burns Supper

Was the annual Edinburgh South West Labour Party Burns Supper last night ...

... very enjoyable evening had by all, with the venue being pretty much full to the limit!

Midlothian meeting/s

Braved a meeting of the Midlothian Labour Group this afternoon ;-)

... main topic of discussion being that Alternative Business Models report, which it now appears the City of Edinburgh Council are trying to bind surrounding local authorities into?

Guilt by association on open offer :-(

Budget consultations

Local budget consultation event this evening with the wider 'Edinburgh Labour' Party membership ...

... have made an increased effort this year to try and broaden out the level of input beyond the City Chambers!

Good level of debate, and I'm pretty certain many of the ideas generated will directly influence our final proposals in a few weeks time.

Neighbourhood Partnership meeting

Neighbourhood Partnership business meeting this evening ... preparation for the next main public event at the end of February.

Continue to think the new format of the main public events is proving a step in the right direction.

Professional shroud-waving?

Well, items 9, 10 and 11 did generate some debate today - but the most significant point of the day (for me!) came at item 7 on the 'revenue budget update' ...

... that revenue report shows a decrease in the required 'budget gap' for 2010/11 from nearly £40million in the Long Term Financial Plan (as of October 2009) to under £28million today (the figure on CPOL is wrong as an amended appendix was tabled - says it all really) ...

... that's right - the 'budget gap' has reduced by well over £1million per week since the Long Term Financial Plan was launched by the Council in October last year.

When a senior Finance Officer, who shall remain nameless, was asked by me if he could offer any absolute future assurance about the 'budget gap' figures now being presented for years 2 and 3, given how badly wrong the figures for year 1 were back in October, the answer I received was something like:

The only absolute assurance I can give you Councillor Burns is that the figures for years 2 and 3 will not be correct.

So - there you have it ... the constantly parroted £90million of savings required over 3-years isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Shroud-waving, I think it's called :-(

Policy and Strategy Committee

Policy and Strategy Committee meeting tomorrow ... the main agenda is here, and all the papers can be found via CPOL here.

Quite a bit on the agenda, although most of the budgetary information will simply be referred on to the budget-setting meeting of the Full Council on 11th February next month ...

... I suspect agenda items 9, 10 and 11 may well generate most debate: I'll report back any further interesting details after tomorrow's meeting is finished!

Pond still frozen :-(

Managed a very brief visit to the allotment again this Sunday ... few more brussel stalks pulled up, and everything generally looking much livelier for the vast majority of the snow having melted ;-)

Pond still frozen solid mind you ...

Birthday boy ...

My dad was 82 during the week, so spent the day over in sunny Salsburgh (actually, still quite a bit of snow there!) celebrating the momentous event ...

... very good time had by all :-)

Pretty poor service

Whilst the weather may be on the turn ... sad to say I took some calls today from a street in my Ward which still hasn't had a refuse-collection since the 18th December 2009!

Pretty poor service ... to say the least!

Budget 2010/11

Budget-setting day for 2010/11 now fast approaching - will take place at a Full Council Meeting on Thursday 11th February ...

... to say we're somewhat awash with last-minute papers, and adjustments to figures, would be an understatement :-(

There appears to be an inverse relationship between the amount of budget-growth and the amount of paperwork?

Of course, that's not to say the budget isn't growing - as regular readers know all too well, the revenue funding for 2010/11 is going up by an inflation-busting 1.76%!

London bound

Whole day spent down in London - Electoral Reform Society (ERS) meetings all afternoon/evening ... and then back up to a still-wintry Edinburgh on the sleeper. And, believe it or not, the trains were all on time!

That's over 3-years now without being on a plane ;-)