Edinburgh bin strike shows why Scotland's cities should have directly elected provosts – Stephen Jardine

Four days after the bin strike in Edinburgh came to an end, you don’t have to look far to find rubbish still blowing in the wind.

Council leader Cammy Day said the residual mess would be gone by this weekend but that was never going to happen.

It was heartbreaking to see the city looking so filthy, especially at a time when we are all supposed to be more focussed than ever on the environment. However the striking workers had a grievance and whatever you think of the pay offer on the table, one thing is abundantly clear and that is the phenomenal mismanagement of the dispute.

Take a local authority in Edinburgh notorious for incompetence (see a tram investigation as costly as the inquiry into the Iraq war), add in the ineptitude of Cosla and this dispute was always going to end in filth-filled streets.

Cosla president Shona Morrison’s hapless attempt on camera to explain why she was opening negotiations a week after the strike started was ample evidence of that.

And, from inside the City Chambers, all we hear is Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative politicians putting the blame on Scottish Government underfunding while the SNP point out this strike has taken place under the new Labour administration, put in place with Conservative support.

Doesn’t Scotland’s capital city deserve better than this?

Edinburgh Council refuse workers clean up after the end of strike action in the city (Picture: Lisa Ferguson)

In England, directly elected city mayors have been an unqualified success story. In Manchester, Andy Burnham has led a transformation of the city and in London Sadiq Khan is has overhauled public transport and is in the news daily, standing up for Londoners. Even Boris Johnson managed to introduce a workable bike hire system during his time as mayor, something those running the council in Edinburgh have failed conspicuously to do.

Scotland has council leaders who are most focussed on a step up to the next available Holyrood seat and provosts appointed to the position because it’s cheaper than giving them a gold watch for their many years of service.

Search through the weeds and you find some incredibly dedicated and committed people who have entered local politics to serve and improve the communities they live in but the system does not encourage their ascendancy.

Edinburgh is a city overflowing with talent and ability in business, finance and creativity but none of them will ever enter local politics. Given all the grief encountered just to become a councillor, why would they?

Directly elected provosts, chosen at the ballot box, offer another route for talent and it seems voters agree with 45 per cent of Scots polled wanting to be able to directly decide their local leaders.

That will be resisted at government level as a threat to the central power base but the same argument was eventually defeated south of the Border.

A powerful, high-profile Edinburgh provost fighting for the city would provide a focus for decision-making and action. During the bin strike that could have ranged from intervening in the pay negotiations to piling pressure on Fringe promoters and fast-food outlets to reduce the waste causing the mess.

If Edinburgh was a business, it would be one of the biggest and most successful in Scotland. Doesn’t it deserve to be led by someone with the skill, ability and vision to match that job?