Edinburgh People's Story museum: Clash at Scottish Parliament over temporary closure

Lothian Tory MSP Miles Briggs had asked whether the Scottish Government could offer support to allow the sustainable re-opening of the venue. Mr Robertson said he was saddened to hear of the temporary closure and Museums and Galleries Scotland had been liaising with the council over how it could be lifted.

And he added: "Something that has caused absolute consternation is that the closure was announced before any consultation, which is frankly shocking from a Labour-led council that it should do such a thing.

The People’s Story museum showcases Edinburgh’s working class history | Jim Slaven/Facebook

"Especially in this 900th anniversary year of Edinburgh, the People's Story and the importance of working class history must be open to the public and it must be a priority."

And when Lothian Labour MSP Foysol Choudhury claimed the Scottish Government's "consistent under-funding"of local authorities would mean more councils being forced to make similar decisions, the minister hit back.

He said: "Buck-passing by the Labour Party on the closure of the People's Story - set up by the Labour Party, closed without any consultation - and Mr Choudhury comes here and suggests that that has something to do with the Scottish Government. It's got nothing to do with the Scottish Government and everything to do with the wrong priorities of the Labour Party.

"Yes, I have asked Museums and Galleries Scotland to become involved. But through the work of the likes of [community campaigner] Jim Slaven and [SNP councillor] Finlay McFarlane, the frankly shameful behaviour of the city council has been exposed and alone through that, I believe the temporary closure will have to be lifted. It is absolutely unsustainable and we should be hearing apologies from the Labour benches rather than buck-passing."

The closure of the People’s Story has also also raised at Westminster. In a debate on the cultural and economic contribution of the Edinburgh Festivals which he sponsored, Edinburgh East & Musselburgh Labour MP Chris Murray said: “Council budgets are severely overstretched, as disproportionate cuts are passed from Holyrood to the city chambers. That means that the People’s Story useum in my constituency, which tells the story of working class history, is currently temporarily closed,”

And Edinburgh South West Labour MP Scott Arthur said Edinburgh was the worst-funded council in Scotland. “The indifference that our capital is shown means that hardly a year goes by without a council-owned cultural venue being put at risk. Last year it was the King’s Theatre; this year it is the People’s Story Museum.”

Council officials proposed closing the museum for seven months amid a projected £26m overspend by the council this year. But it then emerged it had already been closed for two months due to staff shortages and a recruitment freeze.

A campaign against the closure attracted the support of 100 academics at Edinburgh University, as well as trade unions and residents across the city.