Are Edinburgh’s councillors babies? – Helen Martin

RECENTLY I wrote about how I’d like local councillors to be independent individuals rather than in political parties. Another prime example popped up last week.

Conservative councillor Andrew Johnston asked at a full council meeting if council officers could produce a report about the range of council employees who had been furloughed and whether any had been “flexibly” furloughed in July, and if so, how many. The Lib Dems agreed with that. The Labour and SNP coalition, having acquired Greens back-up, said “No”.

There may well have been some “political” reason to want to refuse that information, but shouldn’t every councillor have the right to know about furloughs, and anything else that’s being done with council finances or government support?

What else is kept secret from those who don’t belong to the “ruling” party or coalition? Shouldn’t all councillors who represent local people have access to all council information and spending so that they can do their job?

It does make me wonder even more if our city councillors – and those in other local authorities – are properly working together to serve the city and its citizens which we elected them for, or whether they spend their time, which presumably we pay for, to play “baby” political games, pretend to be Westminster, and score points against each other.

Councillors are supposed to be working for us, not their party. That would be the same case if Conservative and Lib Dems were a coalition and SNP and Labour were not dominating.

Allegiance should be to their wards, people and the city, not national parties. Like everyone else they can vote loyally when it comes to Scottish or UK elections.

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