Just one final reflection on the council by-election in Edinburgh last week and I think this is important. The idea that the LibDem led council is a bad administration is a total myth and bears no relation to an examination of the facts.
Over the weekend I have talked with a number of people close to council affairs. Since 2007 the LibDems have in fact run the city extremely well but what they have failed to do is be political and have at times lacked an eye to the politics of some of the situations the city council has faced.
Just to pick a few key points
The LibDem have put the council back on a firm financial footing after replacing a disastrous Labour regime last time who left the municipal finances in a parlous state!
This council administration has been enormously successful with its housing policies. They have started the first council house building for decades, have improved the conditions of the existing housing stock and homelessness is falling.
They have transformed care for the elderly and the vulnerable for the better.
They have also increased recycling massively – by close to 50% and its getting better all the time.
In addition there has been some real added value capital investments bringing a variety of deliverables to enhance communities across the city - in terms of education, leisure and community facilities.
And there has been more progress in terms of education, economic development, and council administration. No doubt I will get the chance to write more about some of these over the next few weeks.
No doubt there are other factors the council's opponents will wish to throw into the pot to form parts of a heated debate between now and next May. But the fact remains that far from being unsuccessful this has been an extremely effective and positive administration for Edinburgh that has achieved a lot and made enormous progress across the board.
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