Yesterday certain parties got very excited here and started claiming that the Edinburgh tram project was about to be scrapped. Journalists here naturally thought this would be a huge story, and ran around frantically trying to find out the truth. The spin then softened to "Line 1B is under threat". This then became one piece in the Evening News with a headline which wasn't substantiated in the copy.
Shirley-Anne Somerville makes a big play to be the Nats' environmentalist representative in the capital, but like most of the rest of her party she's clearly closer to the motoring lobby. Line 1b would be "sheer lunacy", she says. Yup, imagine an urban public transport system that covers more of the city. Madness, I tells ya. Oh, except her researcher's had to come clean to the BBC: her press release was entirely unsubstantiated.
The bottom line is that an SNP/Liberal local authority is failing to deliver the trams properly. One half of the adminstration never wanted them, and sabotage is suspected. The other half wanted them, but in a half-hearted manner. It's like hitching a lame donkey to either end of a wagon and hoping they'll take you somewhere.
Imagine trying to deliver a massive public project with Councillors overseeing your work who want you to fail, who call for your resignation over their decisions, and who leak anything, however feeble, that goes against the project? No wonder the staff are leaving. The mystery is why the Nats in particular aren't worried about taking the blame should something actually go wrong with the project.
Also, what is specifically wrong with SNP/Liberal coalitions? Edinburgh: incompetent, arrogant, vainglorious. Fife: service-cutting, bridge-lobbying. Aberdeen: so massively incompetent that they risk being nationalised.
It strikes me that SNP and Liberal councillors are like Baileys and Guinness. Pretty unpleasant apart, but truly revolting when mixed. (if you like either drink, please imagine some alternative combination that curdles)
The pedant in me will ignore you calling 59% to 41% two halves.
However, seeing as you clearly are referring to the 41% as the not wanting brigade I'm somewhat alarmed that you consider the 59% to have be only half heartedly behind trams (although after my recent conversation with Mark Ballard I shouldn't be too shocked). Having been around discussions with many of the 59% during preparotary phases, public consultation and then the implementation of the trams in edinburgh I know they are far from half hearted about it. They are even considerably more than 59% hearted about it (just in case I ma misrepresented) ;)
End result I'm am not surprised by Jenny Dawe's comments knocking the unsubstaniated rumours out of the air, especially as at all stages I've known her to he whole (that's 100% for clarity) heartedly behind this.
Apologies for rounding up and down, and I'm pleased to hear the nerve is stiffened amongst the 59% crowd. You have to admit it's not being well delivered, though, with the substantial delays and slow roadworks.
It's odd: the Nats here seem more reasonable than the local lot. I can imagine they're a nightmare to work with for your Cooncillors!
As one of my great uncles used to the civil servant with overall repsonsibilty for Northern Ireland's roads I know that quite often there are issues with road works which are out with the original specification and if other needs hinder alternate routes the perception is often worse than what is the intend. I suppose as my Uni Days were constantly hindered by the constant change of flow of cyclist, cars and pedestrians around the centre of Kingston I'm a little more used to the priority changing scenario around here than most. Plus I also know that the final outcome is more often that not worth it.
As for your other comment you might think that I couldn't possibly comment.