Edinburgh Council's Craigentinny-Duddingston by-election: You may want to read this before voting – John McLellan

As voters go to the polls in today’s Craigentinny and Duddingston by-election, it is the end of a campaign in which we have been encouraging voters to think about how the council is run, and not about Europe, Boris or an independence referendum, none of which will be influenced by Edinburgh Council, no matter what the wannabes in the other parties like to think.

All eyes turn to Duddingston and neighbouring Craigentinny as voters go to the polls (Picture: Rob McDougall)

And when someone like my fellow Evening News columnist Helen Martin, who this week described the Union Flag as the “Butchers Apron”, could write in August that Edinburgh Conservatives are “more representative of locals and logical rather than foolish and tyrannical” and that we are “more democratic and listen to their electors but are treated like irrelevant enemies”, even nationalists know their local representatives are a problem.

But don’t take my word, or even Helen’s, here are some of the Accounts Commission’s views about the authority:

Performance has dropped against 16 indicators, 31 per cent of the total. Information is lacking on longer-term performance trends. Public performance reporting is inadequate. Community empowerment is not embedded in the council’s culture. No well-developed workforce plan. Difficulty identifying the correct workforce skills, numbers or structure to deliver services effectively.

No, the report is not all bad, but it’s hardly a ringing endorsement. Worse, as the council has been forced to launch an independent inquiry into its culture and practices because of the concerns of whistleblowers, with some understatement the Accounts Commission noted that “staff are not always positive about its leadership”.

It is time for change.

John McLellan is a Conservative councillor for Craigentinny and Duddingston

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