Tram chiefs prepare to hold crunch talks with Swinney

Published on Friday 11 June 2010 10:09

TRAM bosses are set for crunch talks with finance secretary John Swinney over the future of the embattled project.

Mr Swinney, who has previously said that Edinburgh's trams will receive "not a penny more" from the Scottish Government, will meet officials from the city council and tram firm TIE on 21 June, just days before councillors will discuss a new report on the 545 million scheme.

Pressure is growing on those in charge of the project after it emerged that just 18 per cent of the construction work has been completed, despite two-thirds of the budget already being spent.

The majority of funding for the project, 500m, is coming from the Scottish Government, while the city council is responsible for raising 45m.

Senior council officials are understood to now be looking at new ways of raising their share of the cash, a subject likely to be discussed with Mr Swinney.

Earlier this week the city's transport convener, Councillor Gordon Mackenzie, said he was set to "call time" on a contract with German construction giant Bilfinger Berger. One source said today: "The question now is not the divorce, but the alimony."

But Shirley-Anne Somerville, SNP MSP for the Lothians, said TIE would be "naive" if it thought the Scottish Government would throw any more money at the "farcical" project.

She said: "I certainly hope they don't waste the finance secretary's time asking for more money."

A report due to go before city councillors on 24 June is currently being drafted and is expected to include details of an updated timetable and how sections of the 11.5-mile route could be "prioritised". It is expected that the stretch between the airport and Haymarket could be opened first.

Deputy council leader Steve Cardownie said the management of the project had been flawed from the start. He said: "It wouldn't have mattered if we had had Alex Ferguson or Jose Mourinho managing this thing.

"TIE may think it can go to the Scottish Government like Oliver Twist asking for more, but they've already been given ample and it's been squandered."

A spokesman for the tram project said:"We regularly meet with ministers and MSPs to update them on progress."

A spokesman for Transport Scotland said it was a "routine meeting".