ABM Cross-Party dialogue

Back to local politics today - no family drama in the Council Chamber (that I'm aware of, anyhow!) - and the subject of the Alternative Business Models (ABM) programme ...

... regular readers will be aware that our Political Group remain deeply sceptical about the direction of the ABM programme - but, to my surprise recently, the Lib-Dem/SNP Coalition agreed to the formation of a Cross-Party grouping to input into the process ... at least up until the next ABM December 2010 report to Full Council.

Well, that Cross-Party grouping met for the first time earlier this week and there was a constructive debate about a wide variety of issues concerning the programme ... doesn't mean we're all going to ultimately agree on this (I strongly suspect that may well not happen) but at least views are being aired and documents are being scrutinised, in a fashion that has not been open to Opposition Groups up until now ...

... personally, I strongly welcome the change in approach.

The right call ...

On balance, I think David Miliband has made the right call this afternoon by deciding not to stand for the Shadow Cabinet ...

... every significant Shadow Cabinet decision in the coming years would have been seen through the false prism of his relationship with his brother - every minor nuance would have been refracted in those terms.

Labour has just had several years experience of what that type of personal drama can do to an organisation ... frankly, I'm glad it's not now going to be repeated through the Miliband brothers.

Miliband senior, in my judgement anyhow, deserves enormous credit for the magnanimity he has shown in his actions today.

Craiglockhart Community Council meeting

Craiglockhart Community Council meeting this evening - agenda here ...

... localised traffic issues dominated tonight's discussions: with quite a bit of support for the potential use of 20mph-zones if the trial in the South of the city is successful?

Full details of that proposed trial can be found here.

Calm and collected

I know I'm biased - but not that biased ;-)

... but, I do think Ed Miliband coped pretty well this afternoon in delivering what must have been a difficult conference speech to make.

He was calm and collected and very clearly communicated all his key messages.

Early days obviously - but I suspect there may be more to Miliband junior than many opponents would like to hope.

Policy and Strategy committee meeting

Policy and Strategy committee meeting this morning (agenda here).

Bulk of the meeting taken up by the update report on the Refuse Dispute ... the very short-report in question can be found here. Basically, this signifies the imposition of new terms and conditions and surely marks the final failure of the Council to resolve this dispute after nearly a full year-and-a-half of industrial work-to-rule :-(

Not something to be particularly proud of - and not a good omen as the Local Authority embarks on some really difficult budget decisions in the coming few months, when the support and understanding of the workforce is going to be completely crucial.

Some debate also on the Fairer Scotland Fund update report (here) - but, thankfully, this was continued until the next Policy and Strategy committee meeting --- in very early November --- so, does buy a bit of time and we may even know quite a bit more about available monies then?

Tynecastle High Parent Council

Tynecastle High School Parent Council meeting this evening ...

... first full meeting of the School year and very good to see some new faces present and participating!

New school building still looking (and feeling) as good as that first tour back in February ;-)

Nursery School closures announced by Press Release

Just after 11am this morning I received a Press Release announcing that 2 Nursery Schools were going to close in the city - you can see the text here.

I've blogged before about how I believe there is a tragic undermining of the status of Nursery Education going on in this city - see here - and can only conclude that this is yet another sad milestone, especially when you reflect on the history of Nursery provision and the role that the old Lothian Regional Council played in pioneering it for the whole of Scotland.

How times have changed :-(

But what's particularly bad about this recent disgrace is that the Lib-Dem/SNP Council approved a budget, way back in February 2010, that took a swinging cut of some £302,000 out of Nursery School provision in Edinburgh. As we made clear at the time, it was a wholly unnecessary funding reduction.

But we've been pressing them ever since to name the 3 Nursery School closures that this £302,000 cut equates to, and for 7-months they've refused to come clean and say what their proposals were.

Now in late September, via a general Press Release, they say they are going to close 2 Nursery Schools with a saving of some £200,000. It is an appalling way to treat parents, families and children and shows no respect for the very serious concerns this will raise for many, many families in the city.

The Lib-Dem/SNP local coalition now urgently need to show some honesty and tell parents how they are going to make the further £102,000 of cuts in Nursery School provision that they have already approved, and not hide-behind any further Press Releases.

Are they going to close another Nursery School or not - yes or no?

Tragically, I do not expect a straight answer.

Salsburgh day (& football)

Spent most of today over in sunny Salsburgh visiting my folks - and yes, the sun really was shining ;-)

A pleasant afternoon watching Manchester United fail to take advantage of both Chelsea and Arsenal losing yesterday - such a shame ;-))

Ah well, guess there's always the 2011/12 season for them.

Allotment update!

Now - just because the Labour movement is abuzz with Leadership chatter ... doesn't mean the Allotment stops needing attention ;-)

... and, believe it or not, we did manage to get down there earlier this afternoon and everything is looking in pretty good shape for the onset of Autumn - and still a fair bit of colour in some of the beds, as you can see from this snapshot :-))

Labour Leader announced

Very, very close result ... as expected in the last few weeks ... but Ed Miliband clinched it on the last round of transfers!

Not my personal, first preference but I'll now get 100% behind the new Party Leader and I've every confidence that the wider Labour movement will do the same ...

... we're all very clear what we now need to focus on: and that's continuing to work flat-out towards a Labour victory next May at Holyrood and ensuring Iain Gray is First Minister ...

... and beyond to a Labour victory at the next General Election - whenever it comes - and seeing Ed Miliband as the next UK Prime Minister.

Campaigning morning

Good crowd of activists out campaigning all across Edinburgh this morning ...

... whilst everyone was, of course, totally focused on the job in hand - it has to be said that all the talk was of the Leadership announcement later this afternoon!

Not long to go now.

2011/12 Budget proposals ...

I mentioned the Full Council last week, when the Budget proposals (Package 1) were approved on a division ...

... well, I've found that most of the Package 2 proposals are now up on the Council web-site: you can see the main-page here, and the details for Package 2 here (although Health and Social Care appears to be missing at the moment?).

My current understanding is that these Package 2 proposals are open for discussion/consultation until the final 2011/12 Budget is actually set in February 2011 - you can go to one of the remaining local meetings (or host your own meeting!) and/or just e-mail your feedback to: councilbudget@edinburgh.gov.uk.

No matter what you think of the process so far, I do believe it important that as many people as possible submit feedback into the system ... I hope 'really bad blog' readers will do so!

Audit Committee

Audit Committee meeting this morning (and afternoon!) ... main agenda here, and individual papers on CPOL here.

Unsurprisingly, the whole session was (rightly so) dominated by the "Care and Support Services - Lessons Learned" report (here). The debate was mainly constructive, with a whole host of Directors and senior Officers giving evidence to the Committee ... such a refreshing change from the usual Committee Meeting which has no real space, or procedure, for proper scrutiny.

Some Directors, and external witnesses, couldn't make it today; so the Audit Committee is going to reconvene (soon hopefully!) to hear from them before coming to any final conclusions.

Personally, I think it was obvious to anyone - as far back as October 2009 - who 'cared to care' about this issue that there were very, very serious problems with this process ... which all ultimately led to the collapse of the programme in February this year.

As I said at that time, the main Opposition Group on the Council has no intention of letting this issue drift into the bureaucratic short-grass, and we remain determined to make sure that those responsible for this mess have to properly account for their actions.

If the next meeting of the Audit Committee doesn't do that, then - frankly - I think elected members will have failed in their democratic duty.

Weekly Wednesday surgery

Weekly Wednesday surgery at Fountainbridge Library is usually the busiest of the three I do ... but, tonight, not one single customer :-(

Being relatively disinterested in football (except when it comes to the World Cup, of course) I can only assume that there was some hugely significant match being played tonight?

Either that, or everyone's perfectly happy?? ... okay - maybe not.

COSLA and Merchiston Community Council

COSLA meeting this morning to see the launch of a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Framework for Elected Members in Scottish Local Government ... no laughing in the back row please ;-)

... actually, I felt it seemed a pretty impressive (and easily accessible) package and I certainly hope that the City of Edinburgh Council signs up to it in due course.

Merchiston Community Council meeting this evening ... packed agenda, the details of which can be found here.

Never a dull moment!

Local holiday ...

Local holiday today - and despite having one morning and one evening meeting, managed to fit in a family film trip: went to see Scott Pilgrim VS the World ... I thoroughly enjoyed it ;-)

I'd strongly recommend it to any family with a youngster interested in Manga and the internet ... that's probably everyone with a 12-year old??

Very enjoyable (and funny) film.

Botanics visit

Some family over today for an 'Edinburgh visit' ... so we managed to fit in an afternoon trip to the Botanics.

First time I'd been since the opening of the new John Hope Gateway building ...

... I was hugely impressed with the design and the facilities therein: the kids particularly enjoyed the exhibition on fungi!

No future for the Lib-Dems?

As a left-wing alternative to Labour that is!

Don't take my word for it - have a read at what their Leader is saying to the Independent today ...

... personally, I think this will go down like the proverbial lead balloon for the vast majority of Lib-Dem voters in Scotland.

They weren't on track to do well next May anyhow, but this type of stunt - in my humble opinion - will only damage their chances further.

The present MSPs in Edinburgh West and South must be loving it??