Edinburgh SNP group leader Adam McVey needs to set record straight over failed bid for Tory support – John McLellan

It was an unforgiveable oversight in last week’s column not to mention one of the positions offered to Edinburgh Council’s Conservative group during the unsuccessful bid by the SNP and Greens to run the administration.

SNP leader Adam McVey (Picture: Lisa Ferguson) Newly restored Burns statue reinstated in Leith as nation celebrates Scotland’s bard An event will be held to mark the reinstatement of the 124-year old bronze statue, which was removed in 2019 to allow for Trams to Newhaven works. Elected members, conservationists and project team directors will hear a reading by former Edinburgh Makar Alan Spence of poems specially written for a time capsule placed under the statue,. This includes his own poem, Interesting Times. ouncil Leader, Adam McVey; Depute Leader, Cammy Day; Transport and Environment Convener, Councillor Lesley Macinnes; Transport and Environment Vice Convener, Councillor Karen Doran; City of Edinburgh Archaeologist, John Lawson; Conservationist Nic Boyes; former Edinburgh Makar Alan Spence. LATEST NEWS: Newly restored Burns statue unveiled in Leith Leith’s iconic Burns statue has been returned to its home on Bernard Street, as Scotland prepares to celebrate the national bard. The 19th century bronze sculpture was put into storage in December 2019 to make way for Trams to Newhaven construction. It has since undergone specialist conservation work before its reinstatement at Bernard Street’s junction with Constitution Street. On the morning of Burns Night (Tuesday, 25 January), Council leaders, tram project officers and contractors were joined by conservationists and former Edinburgh Makar Alan Spence to officially unveil the monument. They also marked the placement of a new time capsule underneath the statue, alongside an original capsule discovered in 2019, which contained relics from both the late 19th century and the 1960s.

This was the deputy convenorship, not of a committee but the whole council, better known as the Depute Lord Provost (DLP). Although largely ceremonial, the DLP chairs full council meetings when the Lord Provost isn’t available, and the position is usually filled by a member of the administration. Last time it was my former ward colleague, Labour councillor Joan Griffiths, and now it’s another Labour councillor, Lezley Marion Cameron.

Although the role is not technically part of the political administration, it is very much part of the authority and several times a week the DLP is called upon to represent the council at civic events, for which there is an extra responsibility payment of around £10,000.

The DLP is therefore representing the entire authority, including members of other parties, so when SNP leader Adam McVey told councillors it was “an egregious lie” he had offered administration roles to stay in power, it appears he did so knowing he had been prepared for a Conservative to represent the whole council.

As someone who claims to be very concerned about standards of behaviour in public life, I’m sure he’ll be only too happy to set the record straight at the next meeting. After all, publicly accusing councillors of lying, when knowing they have not, doesn’t sound like something a man of integrity would do.