Ok, ok, a bit early, but it seems to have started -
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » General Edinburgh
CEC election 2017 (May 4th)
(1269 posts)-
Posted 8 years ago #
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Gavin Barrie get's voted in, dissolves coalition, battles with minority labour administration for next 12 months, SNP win local elections (based on uk election swing), Con's second, labour wiped out and only just beat greens, lib dems wiped out.
So who'll be new transport convenor?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Lesley Hinds has been good at transport. Not sure SNP will be as pro-cycling?
Posted 8 years ago # -
I get the impression that Andrew Burns has done a lot for cycling as well. Would be a shame to see any changes that knocks his and Lesley Hinds' work off course...
I'll need to refamiliarise myself with the council elections, but I seem to remember getting the impression that it seemed pretty well designed to ensure that you got a mix of parties in each ward. I guess that doesn't happen if the SNP sweep continues at a local level, but a combo of greens and labour might be enough to ensure SNP don't have a clear majority?
Posted 8 years ago # -
@ps very low turnouts in local govt elections. The very committed voters who will show up to vote are now SNP, (many former labour voters). Not sure where lib dens are at and tories about the same as they always s get.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Do you think the SNP sweeps were a function of IndyRef and as time passes that momentum will be diluted? Local government seems a different beast from national gov.
Posted 8 years ago # -
No. I think that Scotland has exhibited a loyal tendency in bloc voting. So there was a strong Tory unionist tradition which saw winston Churchill elected as an MP in Dundee. About mid seventies this bloc shifted towards labour with eventually no tories returned to Westminster from Scotland. You need maybe 32 per cent of the electoral roll to get close to total domination. In about 2000? Or thereabouts there was a start to the shift toward SNP as bloc.
We have now. They have in fact 37 per cent of the electoral roll. Enough to win any FPTP contest with all seats. But not enough for a binary thing like Indy ref.Local gov elections could have a different outcome but won't because the huge loyalty to SNP will dominate even in what will be low turnout elections. Just as in the Westminster elections where very good left of centre long standing excellent constituency labour MPs were replaced by anyone with SNP rosette. So it will be at local level, good hard working councillors will be swept aside by anyone in a yellow and black rosette. Labour benefitted from this for years and led to all sorts of poor behaviour by men from Monklands, usually called Jimmy. Same will happen to the SNP.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Thought we were already there gembo #ThomsonMcGarryBoswell
Posted 8 years ago # -
@gembo, yes I've come to much the same conclusion.
Tribal bloc voting seems to be the Scottish way. Almost regardless of policies, except a vague notion of defending the (Scottish) status quo against (external) change.
If the past is any guide this is the political landscape for another decade or so. It's a depressing prospect, frankly.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I pray for a strong Green contingent denying the SNP a majority. We're going nowhere in any other conceivable scenario.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"UK Elections" on twitter predicting this for 2016 Scottish Parly elections.
SNP - 70 +1
Cons - 25 +13
Labour - 22 -15
Greens - 6 +4
Fib Dems - 4 -1
Others - 2 +1https://twitter.com/Election_UK/status/702907852835430400
No idea who or what "UK Elections" is.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"Others"? Would that be RISE or UKIP? Or both? (RIP Margo).
Posted 8 years ago # -
This is the HOLYROOD thread -
Posted 8 years ago # -
Cllr Ross: pro-business, pro-developer, pro-motoring, anti-cyclist. Oh great. Will he be leader of the Council in just over a year's time?
Posted 8 years ago # -
He has said he supports the Roseburn-Canal link. Possibly because it's off-road.
Posted 8 years ago # -
Doesn't he also oppose the Roseburn-Haymarket segregated cycle lane proposals?
Posted 8 years ago # -
(From Roseburn thread)
The fact this is the only mention of cycling on his Twitter feed is rather telling (whether or not the behaviour of the cyclist was inconsiderate):
Frank Ross @FrankRoss06
Walking the dog on the shared path at Broomhouse. Verbally abused by cyclist for using THEIR path!1:58 a.m. - 22 Jan 2016
Posted 8 years ago # -
I was trying to play Devil's Advocate.
But yes, he doesn't seem to care.
Posted 8 years ago # -
I've put my views on Cllr Ross over on the Roseburn thread.
Time will tell.
Posted 8 years ago # -
By HC on Rb thread -
"Time will tell but I don't think we could have realistically expected the leader of another party group to be as outwardly pro cycling as Andrew Burns."
14 months is indeed a long time in politics - it remains to be seen if the SNP remains supremely popular in Scotland and (more relevant here) if national politics is the main factor in CEC voting.
At present Lab and SNP are in coalition, with Lab having slightly more seats.
It is not impossible, but probably unlikely, that the SNP will have an overall majority so will need a coalition or at least some support from one or more of the other parties.
The Greens are unlikely to go into coalition - they both want Independence, but agree on little else. It's unlikely (but not impossible) that there could be an SNP/Tory alliance.
So it might well be that AB will still be part of the ruling group. As has been noted on this forum before, there are plenty of councillors in all parties (except the Greens) that are 'doubtful' about spending money on 'cycling'.
Fortunately there are a growing number of people (who have nothing to do with Spokes or CCE!) who are actually cycling - or would like to be able to.
I presume that the walkcyclevote people/campaign will continue for another year and there will be plenty of opportunities for promoting the benefits of walking, cycling, better use of public space - to anyone who will listen...
Posted 8 years ago # -
I think people ought to focus their minds on promoting as Much pro cycling projects before 2017 elections. Very few people actually vote in local elections but the SNP has a fiercely loyal core vote who are compelled to vote. Inthink the SNP will be n charge. Therefore make no mistake this current period is the high water mark of cycling in Edinburgh. After 2017 unless the politicians have a Damascene conversion cycling projects will be talked into the long grass and nothing will happen. I am partisan I admit but if cycling is your thing and you don't give a hoot about politics and don't vote in local elections please be aware that this time round the rearranged chairs will have a negative impact on cycling. Andrew burns is a quietly emphatic supporter of all things cycling. Even if he hangs on to his seat, he will not be I. Charge and he will not have influence on cycling. Same for any green candidates wh might also be pro cycling. The SNP had a pro cycling councillor but he is not there anymore.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"The SNP had a pro cycling councillor but he is not there anymore"
Jim Orr was replaced by Adam McVey who is 'pro cycling' but has been sadly underwhelming in being visibly/actively so.
As I have said many times, I really can't understand why the SNP - which wants Smarter, Greener etc. - is so lukewarm on cycling.
It can't really be because a key supporter owns a bus company.
In an Edinburgh context it shouldn't be because 'all voters are motorists' either.
This forum demonstrates very well that it's possible/rational to own a car and cycle to work/want better conditions for peds and bike riders.
Anyone in/close to the SNP should have 'conversations' over the next year. (And get as many SNPers as poss to PoP.)
Posted 8 years ago # -
"In an Edinburgh context it shouldn't be because 'all voters are motorists' either."
For the SNP it might be that 'our voters are motorists' though...
Somehow Edinburgh has managed to sustain and increase investment in cycling across two administrations. I hope I'm wrong but I can't see that continuing under an SNP administration.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"For the SNP it might be that 'our voters are motorists' though..."
To some extent, but unlikely to be significantly more so than other parties.
BUT - in an Edinburgh context (and elsewhere a bit) there are definitely more people wanting more to be done for walking and cycling. Edinburgh has unusually high bus usage (and owns a usually profitable bus company) is the SNP really going to promote itself as 'the motorists' friend'? (Quite possibly!)
LH is quite open about this -
"
"As a council we are committed to reducing the number of vehicles on our roads, promoting sustainable and active travel as an alternative.
"
http://www.scotsman.com/news/cars-banned-from-four-city-streets-but-only-for-a-day-1-4054840
Is the SNP (currently part of the ruling coalition) going to campaign against that? (Quite possibly.)
What's needed is a united front of walking, cycling and 'civic' interests.
Mmm...
Posted 8 years ago # -
As I have said many times, I really can't understand why the SNP - which wants Smarter, Greener etc. - is so lukewarm on cycling.
I'm coming to the conclusion that the SNP as a party doesn't want change (beyond their prime purpose, of course). See their Council Tax
reformtinkering, for example.Whether this is because they fear that doing anything that might be perceived as radical will reduce their dominance, I don't know; but for a party that, as the polls suggest, could pretty much do anything short of taking for your first born and still win a majority they seem remarkably timid.
Posted 8 years ago # -
"I'm coming to the conclusion that the SNP as a party doesn't want change (beyond their prime purpose, of course).
...
they seem remarkably timid."
Sadly this seems to be the case.
Posted 8 years ago # -
And in that context it ought to be 'easy' for Lab to regain/retain ground.
But...
Posted 8 years ago # -
The SNP have mastered the art of spouting radical sounding rhetoric whilst being avowedly small c conservative in policy terms.
Their radical edge is dedicated to issues they have no control over, which would require Scottish independence to have meaningful power over (e.g.. Trident, EU, etc.). On domestic Scottish issues where Holyrood has power, it's very much "business as usual" from the SNP, or worse, centralising tendencies and salami sliced budget cuts (e.g.. police, fire, council tax freeze, transport, and increasingly education). Of course this latter is all Westminster's fault according to the SNP.
Whatever the reason (usually 'economic development') at a national level they prioritise trunk roads and air travel over everything else. Active travel is funded grudgingly at a pitiful level.
Edinburgh SNP might take a different approach from the national one if they gain control of the council, but on the evidence so far I very much doubt it. On transport for instance, where are the SNP's determined advocates of public transport or active travel?
Posted 8 years ago # -
Will the budget commitment to cycling be maintained?
It's an agenda item for next week's Transport Committee and has details of the work to be funded over the next year. Design of the Dundee Street/Fountainbridge segregated path is on the list.
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/download/meetings/id/50113/item_77_-_9_budget_commitment_to_cycling
There are some other tantalising project titles including "Stockbridge Town Centre feasibility" and "Braid Hills Drive segregated path"
Posted 8 years ago #
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