Porsche driver gave me a soaking as I tried to clear flooded road – John McLellan

John McLellan discovers not everyone likes a Good Samaritan, takes the Greens to task over the Sheriffhall junction improvements and puts the GMB right about Boris Johnson and whisky.

An artist's impression of the Sheriffhall upgrade, includin pedestrian and cycle pathways

During Saturday’s downpour, a drain on our street which regularly blocks because of mulched leaves once again created a lake and made driving hazardous and held up buses.

Rather than wait for council help I fetched a big rake to clear it, as did some other neighbours.

We were clearly visible, but the water was so deep that vehicles could only crawl as they went through or go on the opposite side of the road if clear; except one guy in a Porsche 4X4 who despite seeing us actually accelerated into the pool and gave me a good soaking.

Some people are so considerate.

Greens have no mandate for demands over Sheriffhall junction

In October an update on progress with the City Region Deal was approved by Edinburgh Council, including a Green amendment that “climate breakdown requires all major plans and programmes to be re-aligned,” and that agreement should be sought on how the deal “will integrate delivery on net-zero carbon aims”.

Realign plans and seek agreement, not “scrap Sheriffhall junction improvements immediately”, as demanded this week by Green MSP Alison Johnstone. Forget that buses are snagged up in jams, or that the long-overdue £120m scheme includes two miles of pedestrian and cycle pathways, and certainly gloss over the fact that with an average general election vote share of 2.9 per cent, the Greens were behind the four main parties in every Edinburgh seat.

The City Deal is a legally binding agreement, not a bargaining chip for parties with no mandate.

Scotch not lost in mist for Boris

The GMB Union made an interesting observation about the possibility of the US increasing tariffs on Scotch. Its whisky and spirits organiser (now there’s a title) said: “Its massive value and importance to Scotland is perhaps something that’s lost on Boris Johnson.”

Given his senior Brexit negotiator and Task Force Europe leader David Frost was Britain’s most senior trade policy official and then chief executive of the Edinburgh-based Scotch Whisky Association for three years until 2016, somehow I doubt it.

John McLellan is the Conservative councillor for Craigentinny/Duddingston