Why Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day should be jetting off to Taiwan amid cost of living crisis – Susan Dalgety

Council leader Cammy Day is coming in for criticism for his plans to attend a global conference in Taiwan next month.

One SNP councillor asked about the wisdom of “jetting off to Taiwan in the middle of the worst cost of living crisis that we’ve experienced in a generation”. Another said the plans for the four-day visit were “vague” and wanted to know how the city would benefit from Councillor Day’s trip to the Far East.

Fair comment? The council will have to make unprecedented budget savings later this week, with every service taking a hit. City schools could lose £7 million a year, which would hit the poorest children worst, according to the EIS teachers union. Even the Lord Provost’s annual £500,000 budget is under pressure, with SNP councillors proposing to reduce it by a fifth.

The cost of the Taiwan trip will be minuscule compared to the council’s overall budget, but is it really the right message to spend cash on international trips when money is so tight? I would have to say yes. Like Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, Edinburgh is a global city. Much of our economy is based on forging international links, whether in life sciences, digital services or renewable energy.

Taiwan is one of the world’s biggest markets for whisky. Our city is a big draw for Taiwan tourists and Taiwanese performers play a central role in the Fringe and International Festival every year.

And while Councillor Day will no doubt enjoy some fine hospitality during his four-day visit, he is there to do business on behalf of the city. It may take a few months, or even a few years, for the results of his networking to make an impact, but this is how the global economy works.

Council leaders need to travel the world to sell their city to prospective investors, whether that is in financial services or medical research. It is also an opportunity to share solutions to some of the big challenges facing cities – such as how to achieve a net-zero economy and build truly sustainable communities.

Councillor Day’s trip to Taiwan is just as important as his appointments in Edinburgh or the rest of Scotland. I for one am looking forward to his report.