Edinburgh Council's Epic councillors frozen out until September – Steve Cardownie

Edinburgh Council’s Greens help stitch up Epic group despite talk of democratic principles, writes Steve Cardownie.

Cllr Lewis Ritchie, formerly of the SNP, is a member of the Epic group

The news that Edinburgh City Council will not meet as a collective body, comprising of all councillors, until at least September is to be expected given the current circumstances.

However, its temporary replacement – the Policy and Sustainability Committee – is not without controversy as the three members who make up the Edinburgh Party of Independent Councillors group (Epic) will not be represented and have effectively been frozen out of the decision-making process within the City Chambers.

A few meetings ago, councillors ganged up against Epic (with the notable exception of the Tories and the Lib Dems) to deny them committee places and this inherently undemocratic decision continues to have repercussions.

The Greens, in particular, were complicit in this stitch-up. My ears were bleeding at full council meetings listening to the Greens drone on and on about how democratic they were and how they were the most egalitarian group on the council – until recognition of Epic would have meant they would lose a place on a couple of committees.

That changed matters and they shamelessly voted to deny Epic members their rightful role.

Then the Greens did not allow their conscience to be their guide, but rather their accomplice!