Transport chief given job in grubby deal, say critics

Published on Monday 22 November 2010 16:31

THE row over the fate of Edinburgh's main bus company has taken a new twist amid claims the SNP only agreed to back the city's pro-tram business leader as its new figurehead in return for a deal to save a closure-threatened charity for blind and disabled people.

Concern is mounting over the lack of backing for Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce chief executive Ron Hewitt as the new chairman of Lothian Buses over reports his appointment had been a key "bargaining chip" between the Nationalists and the Liberal Democrats, their council coalition partners.

Council leaders last night insisted they expected the board of Lothian Buses to "give due weight" to the council's recommendation, despite sources within the firm claiming senior figures are opposed to Mr Hewitt being handed the top post.

A deal to rescue the Blindcraft factory in Craigmillar from closure was only agreed hours before councillors were due to seal its fate last week, with the SNP widely thought to have persuaded the Lib Dems to reprieve the organisation.

However, on the eve of last Thursday's council meeting it was clear that the Lib Dems needed the support of the SNP to ensure that Mr Hewitt was approved as the council's preferred candidate for the Lothian Buses post.

Opposition groups stormed out of the city chambers after failing to block the appointment of Mr Hewitt, who is one of the most vocal supporters of the tram scheme. The other candidate is lawyer Ann Faulds, who - like Mr Hewitt - is already on the board of the bus company.

Whoever is appointed chairman of Lothian Buses is likely to hold the post for up to six months until a headhunt for a chairman of both Lothian Buses and the council's tram company, Tie, is carried out. The council has admitted that the tram scheme is expected to need a subsidy from Lothian Buses for the first three years it operates.

One source at the city chambers said: "There had been cross-party involvement in the process to find an interim chairman for Lothian Buses but it became obvious that there was not unanimous support for Ron Hewitt.

"But the SNP's desire to strike a deal over Blindcraft meant the Lib Dems could use the Lothian Buses post to strike a deal and Ron Hewitt became a bargaining chip. Although he is a high-profile supporter of the tram scheme, he is only going to be involved with the bus company and will only be in the post for a few months."

An SNP insider said: "It's fair to say we had to talk around the Lib Dems at the last minute over Blindcraft.Although the Lothian Buses chairmanship was an entirely separate issue it is no coincidence that the two deals only came together at the last minute."

Labour councillor Paul Godzik said: "It seems very likely that some kind of grubby deal has been done by these two parties and that policy on these important issues was just being made up the hoof."

Lib Dem councillor Gordon Mackenzie, the city's transport leader, said: "I wasn't involved in any of the discussions on Blindcraft myself, but the feeling in the administration was that Ron Hewitt was simply the best candidate. Both he and Ann Faulds are on record as being supportive of the tram and moves to integrate trams and buses in the city."

Tom Buchanan, the city's economic development leader, said: "I don't think there is any conflict of interest issues with Ron Hewitt being chair of both Lothian Buses and head of the chamber of commerce."