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Aitken wins vote to lead 'the best small city on the planet'

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""He has the right combination of toughness and tenderness""
Published Date: 23 August 2006
By PETER MCMAHON AND AURA SABADUS
EWAN Aitken was last night chosen as the next leader of the City of Edinburgh Council.
The capital's education leader, an ordained Church of Scotland minister who became a full-time politician, defeated fellow councillor Elizabeth Maginnis by 17 votes to 13 to win the nomination from the city's ruling Labour group.

The vote followe
d an earlier ballot to narrow down the candidates from three to two. In the first ballot Mr Aitken took 14 votes to Ms Maginnis's 13 with the city's planning convener, Trevor Davies, taking just three.

Speaking outside the City Chambers after he emerged from a tense Labour group meeting, Mr Aitken, 44, said he was "deeply honoured to be asked to serve as council leader of the best small city on the planet".

Flanked by the outgoing leader, Donald Anderson, Mr Aitken said his first priority would be to spend as much time as possible "listening and learning from the people of Edinburgh" to allow Labour to construct its manifesto for next May's council elections.

Mr Aitken, who formally takes over as leader next Tuesday, said he would also make it a priority to demand that more of the money raised through business rates in Edinburgh is given back to the city by the Scottish Executive.

Despite Ms Maginnis's strong showing, Mr Aitken last night refused to promise that he would give the former education convener a place within the city's executive. However, speaking after the result was announced Ms Maginnis, 52, said she would accept a senior position if it was offered.

She said she had come into the leadership race "to shake it up" and that her campaign had ensured her opponents had admitted the Labour administration had made mistakes, particularly in failing to win a majority in the referendum on congestion charging.

Ms Maginnis said: "Ewan has accepted that the congestion charging was mishandled and that was an important epiphany for the group to recognise. We made a serious mistake." She said Labour now had to demonstrate to the voters of Edinburgh that it was not anti-car.

Mr Anderson, who is stepping down after seven years to challenge for a seat at Holyrood, said he was "delighted and proud" that Mr Aitken would be taking over.

Mr Anderson said: "Ewan is one of the outstanding talents in Edinburgh council. He has the right combination of toughness and tenderness. Ewan is a doer. He is a thinker. He is a deliverer but he is also a listener."

Although the Labour group in the city is still clearly divided, Mr Aitken's victory was clearer than the one-vote win which took Mr Anderson into power.

But opposition councillors said the vote highlighted divisions within the Labour group.

"The result was entirely predictable," Steve Cardownie, of the SNP, said last night. "The 17-13 vote is a clear indication that there is this huge split in the Labour group."

Liberal Democrat councillor Jenny Dawe said: "I hope Councillor Ewan Aitken will enjoy his leadership while he can. This is a short-lived triumph."



The full article contains 542 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 22 August 2006 11:34 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Edinburgh Council
 
1

Scotfestival,

Edinburgh 23/08/2006 02:32:13

Good Luck to Ewan Aitken in his new role as leader of Edinburgh Council.

However, I sincerely hope that Mr Aitken will break with long standing council tradition and seek to engage with the many 'individuals' across the city who are trying to develop and enhance local services and community based grassroots initiatives... And who have been to date utterly ignored by Edinburgh Council!

I urge the council to seriously rethink their current attitude and start involving local people at all levels of policy development making rather than constantly relying on the 'Pay us and we will tell you what you want to hear' multitude of consultants who swarm round the various council committees.

Speaking as one such individual... I want to work with the council and other local organisations and agencies to further enhance the reputation of Edinburgh as the "best small city on the planet" at local - national - international levels. However, be aware folk such as myself are growing increasing frustrated and if you won't work with us... better get the hell out of our way!

Pol Steele
5th Edinburgh International Internet Festival: Beltane to Hogmanay 2006
Festival Online: www.scotfestival.com
E-mail festival2006@scotfestival.com

2

paulr,

23/08/2006 08:05:04

I wait with baited breath to hear what fictions the new leader comes out with to persuade us that the council is not trying to destroy our traffic infrastructure and prevent cars from driving through the city.
A prime example is esselmont road where they are moving the bus stop 20 feet closer to the corner, is this yet a new way to reduce congestion?
will this help traffic flow when a bus stops here?
I dont think so.

3

Thomas the Tank,

EmbraToon 23/08/2006 08:13:48

Like (1) I also welcome Mr Aitken and wish him luck - he'll need it. "Listening and learning from the people of Edinburgh" eh? - there's a novelty, rather than dictate to and harangue us at the behest of favoured single-issue pressure groups, certain 'business interests' and 'Consultants' (snake-oil salesmen), each with their own agenda. Let's hope his first action will be a clear-out of some deadbeat 'Executive' councillors - be very afraid, Mr Burns!!

4

calum,

23/08/2006 08:43:40

Listening and learning ....... from the erstwhile Head of Children and Families ......... in turmoil, strife, investigations, legal moves, suspensions, alleged corruption etc. etc.. Should be interesting then to see how this particular leopard will change its spots.
As for the oleaginous Trevor Davies, not even your own colleagues believe your double talk, double standards and double dealings.
And the ambitious Councillor Maginnes will have to rally her troops for another tilt at the leadership seat, although she is probably too busy tilting at windmills on the aterfront.

5

calum,

23/08/2006 08:46:44

I meant "on the waterfront" in the last sentence.
Wasn't that the title of a number by Simple Minds? How apt!

6

Koffindodger,

Edinburgh 23/08/2006 08:48:32

Yes lets hope Ewan remains true to form in being anti private sector, I am sure Edinburgh will be just a fantastic place if we all have to rely on the public sector for everything.

Yes I am sure Ewan can quite easily redistribute the wealth of Edinburgh however he will probably redistribute it to london and glasgow.

He will probably add to the coffers of public schools as well by closing all the decent state schools in favour of the "could do better" ones.

7

RTL,

Edinburgh 23/08/2006 09:09:04

Why do I find it hard to believe that the council will start to 'listen' are not anti car and are anything but seriously anti resident.

The council seems to take every opportunity to harass and generally make life as difficult and expensive for everyone who was born and still lives in Edinburgh

"Best small city in the world" it was once a long time ago, before the multi coloured streets, and lunatic traffic management schemes caused and continues to cause unnecessary congestion, High Rates, voracious traffic wardens, petty officials who waste fortunes on so called 'Consultants' to tell them what to do and how to drive as many people away from Edinburgh as possible.

"Mr Anderson said: "Ewan is one of the outstanding talents in Edinburgh council. He has the right combination of toughness and tenderness. Ewan is a doer. He is a thinker. He is a deliverer but he is also a listener." ...... This makes me even more fearful, Donald Anderson and his partner in crime, Cllr Burns should be hanging their heads in shame at the state they have left this city in, so Donald Andersons endorsement of his successor in such glowing terms is very worrying.

If some common sense starts to show in council policies and deeds, I will be the first to applaud Mr Aitken, but it would be easier to raise the Titanic than it will be to repair the damage done to the residents of Edinburgh by his predecessor

Good Luck Mr Aitken, you are really going to need it!

8

Firozali A.Mulla MBA PhD,

Dar-Es-Salaam Tanzania 23/08/2006 09:09:45

Congratulation but we seem tobe having the tussle about the defination on the STAR and THE WHAT is the Planet. Could you perhaps say in UK?

9

St pauli,

23/08/2006 09:11:28

Elizabeth Maginnis is totally correct, there needs to be a radical re-think and reorganisation within Edinburgh City Council. Cllr Atkin should not be keeping failed politicians in their well-paid positions, his first test is to show some leadership!

10

,

23/08/2006 09:31:59
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason: Scotsman Import, Original comment id: 37905, Article id was mapped to record!
11

IgotstuffinNoahsark,

23/08/2006 10:24:03

Of course the Council is anti-car. Every right-thinking local authority should be and in a city so small, it's ludicrous to be kow-towing to the motor lobby at all.

It's only a matter of time before the entire city gets pedestrianised, which is the policy in several successful European cities. You're just going to have to face it: the days of being able to drive through Edinburgh are numbered.

As someone once said, albeit in a different context: get on yer bikes!

12

A,

23/08/2006 11:16:28

Typical Edinburgh! Best wee city in the planet indeed!

13

weedodger,

Edinburgh 23/08/2006 18:37:27

Thank goodness at last someone with a religious background, who I am sure will look at some of the decisions with a more sensible outlook , because I must be honest some of the decisions made by this council over the past few years has been , "Diabolical" to say the least

14

David n' Goliath,

Edinburgh. 23/08/2006 20:18:01

Please can politicians stop using turned-inward superlatives like the 'best small country in the world!' or the 'best wee city in the world!'

There is nothing small about Scotland or Edinburgh, or Glasgow. Only the aspirations of the politicians are small, not the people, many are world class, or for that matter the places!

Edinburgh is a world class city let down by decades of failure by 'small' politicians who have been unable to get its transport system built. The fact that design of 10 miles of tram track (just the design, not the construction!) is milking us of £60 million shows what a poor grip is being exercised over transport policy. That is 'small' thinking at its worst and in some regards the title 'worst wee city' is appropriate.


 

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