City goes cap in hand for cash to fund tolls drive

EVERY Labour councillor on the city council has been asked to pay money out of their own pockets to fund the road tolls "Yes" campaign.

All 30 members have been hit with the cash plea in a bid to boost the campaign which is expected to cost tens of thousands of pounds.

Cash raised for the fighting fund will help meet the cost of printing and distributing thousands of posters and leaflets across the city, and pay for adverts promoting the Yes to Edinburgh campaign.

Around 3000 Labour Party members across the city have also been asked to stump up by the council’s deputy leader Ian Perry, who has sent out "begging" letters.

Business leaders, heritage bodies, students and environment groups are also being asked to bankroll the campaign.

Councillor Perry’s letter spells out how volunteers are also needed to distribute leaflets, put up posters, "generate publicity" about the congestion-charging scheme and write letters of support for the council’s plans to the Evening News.

It states: "The Yes to Edinburgh group will be running a vigorous campaign to convince voters that if Edinburgh is to remain a world-class city with a world-class environment then we need everyone to back the strategy.

"A ‘no’ vote will threaten Edinburgh’s economic prosperity and damage its unique environment and heritage. Fighting a city-wide campaign is expensive: we need donations, big and small. Please join our campaign. Victory will be achieved for the far-sighted and socially-responsible strategy with your help."

Cllr Perry told the Evening News that all members of the Labour group were being asked to make a contribution to the campaign, by campaigning and donating.

He added: "The campaign is being entirely funded by donations, although we’ve not set a target for how much we have to raise, but every penny raised will be spent on the campaign."

"I don’t know how much has been raised so far as I’m not directly involved in that. People have just been asked to make a donation."

Donald Anderson, the leader of the council, who insisted he would be making his own contribution, said: "We would expect all members of the group to be involved in the campaign but I wouldn’t say we will be leaning on anyone."

And city transport leader Andrew Burns added: "Yes to Edinburgh is a completely independent campaign from the council and it’s up to them to explain the fundraising process they’re going through. However, it seems reasonable to me to ask individual members of the public and of political parties to make a financial contribution."

However, one senior Labour councillor said: "They can whistle for it if they’re expecting me to pay up.

"I don’t agree with us even having a referendum.

"We were returned at the last election with a policy that included congestion charging and that should have been good enough. I can’t see many councillors being happy to pay into this campaign."

Another Labour member at the City Chambers said: "I make a donation every month out of my wages to the Labour Party and that’s enough as far as I’m concerned.

"I don’t think it’s right we’re being asked to put money into this. We already do our own bit supporting the policy and encouraging people to vote."

Allan Jackson, Tory transport spokesman on the council, said: "This latest move shows just how terrified the Labour Party is of losing the referendum.

"There are a number of Labour councillors who don’t support the policy and I can’t see them being too willing to stump up their money, especially at a time when large numbers of people are making donations to the tsunami appeals."

Yes to Edinburgh is being masterminded by former chief of Scottish Financial Enterprise Ray Perman and ex-Lib Dem finance convener Denis Robertson Sullivan.

Among the higher-profile supporters on board so far are Kwik-Fit tycoon Sir Tom Farmer; Shonaig Macpherson, former president of Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce; Edinburgh Airport’s managing director Richard Jeffrey, and Witchery restaurant boss James Thomson.

Separate "no" campaigns are already under way, led by Tory and Lib Dem groups on the council, major city centre retailers and more than 50 small businesses.

The city council is also facing major opposition from all of its neighbouring local authorities, who have raised a legal action at the Court of Session.

Court hearing for challengers

THE three councils challenging Edinburgh’s congestion-charging scheme have been granted a full court hearing at the start of February.

The Court of Session has given Fife, Midlothian and West Lothian councils the authority to serve a writ on Edinburgh City Council, and a full hearing is now expected on February 3 and 4, although a decision will not come until sometime later - meaning it could clash with the Edinburgh referendum which begins on February 7, and lasts for two weeks.

The court challenge was sparked by the city council’s decision to grant congestion-charge exemptions to people in rural west Edinburgh, while motorists in other councils would have to pay.

If the petition is successful, the court will grant an order quashing the council decision.

That would mean the city chiefs would have to stop the scheme until they had come to another decision.

Adam Montgomery, leader of Midlothian Council, said: "Let’s not lose sight of why we are doing this. The scheme Edinburgh council is due to consult its residents on is outrageously unfair and discriminatory. We are duty-bound to challenge its legality in this way."