News readers deny Edinburgh Council ‘happy’ claims

CLAIMS in a council survey that 97 per cent of residents are happy where they live have been rubbished by residents and campaign bodies.

The council – which has been hit by scandals such as the trams, statutory repairs, and bin collections – yesterday unveiled survey results which claim that almost three-quarters of people are happy with the way they manage the city.

Council chiefs spent £46,000 asking 5000 residents their opinions.

However residents have today poured scorn on such claims, and dawnoftime said on the News website: “One per cent of the population is hardly representative and certainly small enough to collect a group of people who will say exactly what you want them to say.”

MOCO likewise dismissed the results: “Aye right. Didn’t Saddam Hussein regularly win 97 per cent of the popular vote in Iraqi elections?”

Black Five added: “Council is kidding themselves on. There has been shame and disgrace brought on to a once beautiful city.”

A spokesman for campaign group Taxpayer Scotland condemned the amount of money the survey cost. He said: “What a lot of money to ask a few simple questions.

“Edinburgh is an easy city to live in, but this sounds like a response to a leading question that could only have a positive answer.

“Could these tens of thousands of pounds not have been spent on better things – like keeping business rates down or mending the potholes in our streets?”