'PR here to stay' shocker ;-)

One other uplifting point about the Calman recommendations - you simply must read the conclusion of paragraph 6.18 on page 219:

"We certainly recognise that proportionality is now so integral to public understanding of the Parliament that any move to elect all MSPs by first-past-the-post is inconceivable."

How things can change in a mere decade :-))

Westminster could well be next ...

Serving Scotland Better?

Went to the launch of the final Calman Commission report this morning - all the relevant documents can be found here ...

... don't intend to give a "recommendation-by-recommendation" account of the report - you'll be relieved to hear! The Scottish Press will be completely awash with analysis over the coming days, I'm sure :-(

I would note though that at the launch event, Calman himself said this was "an important start to the process of change" and stressed the title of the document on several occasions during his opening contribution - "Serving Scotland Better".

Putting whether you think the report goes 'far enough' to one side, I defy anyone to disagree (Nationalists included) that this report's recommendations will 'serve Scotland better' and that they do indeed form part of 'the process of change'?

Wouldn't it be refreshing if the SNP just acknowledged these points and welcomed the report for what it is?

Meat-free Monday?

I generally don't go on about my vegetarianism ... I did, though, mention some time ago the principal reason I gave up meat back in June 1993.

After that blog entry, I got a few incredulous e-mails asking how I could possibly link a vegetarian diet to land(mis)use ... they clearly hadn't read the article I linked to in that April 2008 post :-(

Well - good to see that, what appears like, a major campaign has been launched in The Independent today making much the same point.

As I said before - in terms of achieving a positive, collective environmental (not to mention a positive, personal health!) impact, its probably the single biggest step most of us can make ... and, its easy to do.

Why not at least try it?

Voluntary Sector conference

Fifth (I think, from memory?) policy event this afternoon for Edinburgh Labour since the 2007 election --- topic this time was the 'Voluntary Sector'.

Another enjoyable few hours spent debating future policy options, as opposed to looking backwards!

Although, it has to said, there was a considerable amount of disquiet about current Scottish Government policy in this area - even more so than in the Education-arena, I would say ... and that takes some doing :-(

Managed a quick (and very wet) early evening visit to the allotment - the Queen has a bit of catching up to do ;-)

... how about those brussel sprouts!

Queen follows 'Really Bad Blog' example

As a committed republican, the Queen doesn't really get mentioned much on the 'Really Bad Blog' ...

... but, it appears that some common sense is even pervading Buckingham Palace these days :-)

Doesn't change my overall views on the real worth (or lack of it) of Monarchy mind you!

Lib-Dems in a panic

Lib-Dems in a panic - surely not?

Well, I've just spotted this rather odd story in the local paper today, and it appears they have indeed got a little agitated over some local political rumour. Imagine that!

... mind you - can't help but wonder if Katie Moffat would kindly consider speaking to Joanna Coleman ;-)

Never mind all that 'Independent' nonsense Joanna!

Mobile blogging??

Off down to London this morning (by train of course!) for an Electoral Reform Society meeting ...

... I've actually invested in a new 'Notebook' (don't quite know what possessed me!) - so blogging from the train is now an optional possibility ;-)

On the turn?

Spent most of today as part of an 'Interview Panel' helping to select a couple of candidates for senior posts within Services for Communities --- interesting day ...

... have been so distracted I nearly missed this (bit more detail here)!

... appears ALL of the British Press missed it as well :-((

Lack of courtesy ...

2.30pm on Wednesday and the schools closure report has just appeared on CPOL ... you can now find it here.

Over a day after initial Press Coverage and the SNP/Lib-Dem Administration have finally released the report publicly.

If you ask me, this all shows a complete and total lack of basic courtesy to the local communities involved in these proposed closures ... it's all about 'news management' instead of trying to involve those who matter most.

Lets hope the communities affected don't forget about how they've been treated - as eventually they will be able to have their say on the current crowd running the city.

No scrutiny here

I thought it bad enough that most Elected Members first found out about the possible privatisation of 20 Council Services by email, but things just got worse today :-(

Not only was said-report on outsourcing huge swathes of local services approved at the Policy and Strategy Committee this morning - despite our efforts to have it stopped - but inclusion of Elected Members in decision-making took further massive strides 'backwards' when the proposals to close another 4 Primary Schools were given to the Local Press (published circa 10.30am this morning) without Elected Members being given ANY written report on the subject :-((

There was an 8.30am briefing via the Cross-Party Group (which I mentioned before) but no report was handed out and no report is yet up on Committee Papers on-line (CPOL) and it's now very late Tuesday evening?

Summary - Elected Members find out about 4-school closures in the Local Paper and a day after (practically) they still have no written report on the topic?

Worse still, Council Press Officers (that's staff paid from your local taxes) have put out a general News Release on the whole subject.

I'll tell you - openness and transparency have gone down-the-tubes under this Administration --- it's a tragedy that we appear to have a more aggressive "winner-takes-all and to hell with the rest of you" mentality under a proportional electoral system than we had under the previous majoritarian system of election.

The irony is not lost on me :-((

One more Euro-result ...

I mentioned in the last entry that all the Euro-results were now in --- not quite correct :-(

... I'd forgotten that Northern Ireland was still to declare. They, rather sensibly, use STV-PR and not the 'closed-list' system that the rest of the UK operates for the European Elections. And, believe it or not, the whole country-wide vote is counted by hand, thus the results are just coming out now.

Anyhow, amongst the many other 'firsts' from last night - there is now the 'first' of Sinn Fein topping the poll in Northern Ireland.

What a set of elections!

Euro-election results

Euro election results now all in - full details for the UK can be found here and Scottish result here.

No doubt that it is a disappointing set of results for Labour - particularly down in Wales :-(

In Scotland, despite the overall popular vote being won by the SNP (and credit to them for that victory) the number of MEPs for Scotland (basically) stays the same SNP-2; Lab-2; Tory-1; Lib-Dem-1. Tories have lost 1 compared to 2004, but that's really just down to the overall reduction for Scotland from 7 to 6 MEPs.

Here in Edinburgh, the SNP also did reasonably well and won the overall popular vote ... the city-wide breakdown can be found here. Before they get too carried away by their Edinburgh result though, it is worth pointing out that in 1999 the SNP got 22.2% of the popular vote, as compared to 21.4% last night. 10-years of devolution, and 2-years of being in power in Edinburgh, and their vote-percentage in the Capital has dropped.

And it is disappointing to see Edinburgh Labour lose out to the Tories who took second-place city-wide ... but the Lib-Dems who were telling anyone who would listen last night that Labour were 5th in the city must be feeling a little foolish this morning?

And - what about those 1,724 votes that went to the 'very recently' formed Socialist Labour Party who were just above Labour on the ballot paper...

c'est la vie :-(

Anyhow, personally delighted to see David Martin and Catherine Stihler returned to the European Parliament: they're both excellent MEPs.

Heading for a hung-Parliament?

Here's just a little distraction from all the Cabinet resignations :-(( ...

... now that the 'national projections' are out (based on the English Local Government results to date) here's an intriguing thought:

• Labour were on 26% nationally after the 2004 Local Election results - Tories were on 38%
• 12-months later for the 2005 UK General Election - Labour took 35% and the Tories 32%
• over the year, that was a 9% increase for Labour, and a 6% decrease for the Tories

• Labour now appear to be on 23% nationally at these 2009 Local Elections - Tories on 38% (again)
• in 12-months time (at the very most) there must be a (2010) UK General Election
• if that '2004 to 2005' percentage movement is replicated in the next year ('2009 to 2010'), guess what happens?

Hung-Parliament anyone??

Election victory for Labour ;-)

Sadly, I have a feeling this headline news may not be repeated when we see the majority of the English Local Election results, due out later this afternoon :-(

... not to mention the European Election results, due out first-thing Monday morning :-((

European Election Day

Don't forget to cast your vote sometime between 7am and 10pm ;-)

... I sense it could be a pretty low turnout :-(

Very busy few days ahead - blogging may well be completely non-existent until the weekend!

UPDATE - actually, three-quarters of the way through the day, and I now reckon the turnout could be slightly up on the 2004 European Elections ... was 30.9% (for Scotland) back then, could possibly be in the mid to high thirties this time; though doubt very much it will make 40% --- we'll know soon enough ??

Mass privatisation?

Local Newspaper has been given the story about 20 - yes, 20 - Local Authority services being potentially privatised by the current Council Administration ...

... all relates to a Report now going to the Policy and Strategy Committee next Tuesday - main Agenda here, and the specific Report here.

Here's the full list of services to be potentially privatised:

1. IT
2. Cultural Facilities
3. HR
4. Refuse Collection
5. Payroll
6. Street Cleansing
7. Legal Services
8. Ground Maintenance
9. Customer Services (Contact Centre, Front Offices)
10. Road Maintenance
11. Operational Property and Facilities Management
12. Fleet Management
13. Procure to Pay Process
14. Transport Services
15. Revenues & Benefits Administration
16. Building Maintenance
17. Financial Administration
18. Catering
19. Elements of Administrative Support
20. Cleaning

The announcement of this list today, astonishingly sent by e-mail to all staff, could thus basically lead to the privatisation of these 20 areas of service provision which are currently delivered directly by the Local Authority.

Such a mass-privatisation of Council services would - for me - be wholly unacceptable and would undoubtedly lead to a real diminution in the level (and probably the quality) of services provided by the Local Authority to Edinburgh citizens.

This is all about saving money - nothing else - and senior Administration politicians need to have the honesty to simply admit that.

Trying to spin it as an 'improvement programme' will fool no one.

Local school closures?

Seems earlier rumours of the "end of local school closures" were unfounded - the Cross-Party Working Group on Estate Rationalisation (not now disbanded!) is due to meet a week today and will almost certainly start looking afresh at these issues ...

... as I mentioned in that earlier post, my reading of the Administration Budget (from February 09) indicates several Primary Schools, and a possible Secondary School, as being ear-marked for closure within this financial year?

We'll know in the next few days if I'm right or not ...

Referendum campaign gathering pace ...

More information on the growing campaign for a referendum on the voting system now up on the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) web-site - here ...

... and you'll see here, that ERS has had a particularly busy few days on the Press-front!