Edinburgh Council: Cross-party co-operation is dismissed by Scottish Greens when it suits them – Steve Cardownie

Tory councillor makes candid admission about how often their ideas ‘go down in flames’

Another bid by the SNP group to oust their former allies from power up at the City Chambers bit the dust last Thursday. The minority Labour group, which assumed control after the last local government election, survived the latest attempt with the support of the Lib Dem and Conservative groups. Despite the SNP’s claim that there had been a “cataclysmic failure of leadership” (no lack of hyperbole there then), the other two parties came to the aid of Labour as they baulked at the prospect of former administration leader, SNP councillor Adam McVey, once more taking over the administration, only this time with support coming from the Greens.

In an acrimonious debate, the accusation that the Labour group was in bed with the Tories raised its head again and was quickly dismissed by Conservative Councillor Joanna Mowat, who readily conceded that “if we really were the tail that was wagging the dog of this council, we would not be having as many of those votes where we go down in flames”. A candid admission that, on closer inspection, has some merit.

Despite noises from some councillors last May that they would seek to work together where possible in the interests of the city, Greens co-convenor Alys Mumford poured scorn on such attempts by stating that the council found itself in a situation where an “extreme minority” ruling group attempts to “wrangle disparate parties”. It seems she’s quite happy to dismiss Labour’s aim of establishing cooperative working within the council.

So it didn’t take long for that particular notion to be thrown in the WPB (waste-paper basket).