Martin Hannan: Lesley should give us a break

A visiting friend who had spent a few days gawping at the state of Edinburgh’s streets put it rather succinctly. “Tell me when the city’s finished and I’ll come back,” he said. I suspect his disdain will not be the only upset among the millions of tourists who will be visiting the Capital this year.

Before you think “not another trams rant” let me assure you my ire is aimed at all the roadworks disfiguring the city.

Yes, the tram works are by far the worst offenders as they have turned Princes Street and Haymarket, and so many other places, into the dark side of the moon writ large.

No-one really knows when they will finish, but all over the city there are huge swathes of roads that are being cordoned off and dug up without so much as a by-your-leave. Water, gas, and electricity utilities and the council’s own contractors have taken over the city with all the subtlety of a punch in the face. Street by street, it seems, the excavators are occupying our Capital. How long will this debilitating conquest go on?

It defies belief that tourists are supposed to accept this wholesale vandalism without complaining, and a brief perusal of certain websites will show you that visitors to our city are just stunned that the civic leaders are allowing this most beautiful of places to be so disfigured.

It’s beginning to seriously affect the tourism product on which Edinburgh depends and it is time for someone to stand up and do something about it.

Before the council elections, Councillor Lesley Hinds trumpeted the idea of a two-year moratorium on all roadworks. I thought at the time it was a nonsensical suggestion, but now Lesley is in charge of transport and suddenly I’m beginning to think there’s a kernel of an idea in there.

I have long thought that Lesley – a former Lord Provost, don’t forget – is one of the most formidable politicians in this city, and if anyone can bring sense to our trams and roads it is she.

But rather than a moratorium, Lesley, why not set a deadline? Tell everyone involved in potential roadworks that they must complete their tasks by June 1 of 2013, so Edinburgh can have a summer free of roadworks.

Get us a summer without this devastation, Lesley, and you’ll start the rehabilitation of the Capital’s reputation. Come on, you can do it . . .

Mob cannot win

BACK in February I wrote that Robert Greens, the so-called Da Vinci rapist, should be allowed to try to rehabilitate himself in Midlothian without the interference of vigilante-style mobs of locals.

Last week saw his home targeted by protests after he was moved back to Midlothian following a “cooling off” spell elsewhere, and last night a protest march was due to be held from Mayfield to Greens’ cottage near Bonnyrigg. I am writing this before the march so I cannot know if it was a peaceful event or not. This I can say, however. All the protests will achieve nothing other than to raise temperatures about an already heated issue. The usual inarticulate rage of the mob will resound, but will be ignored.

For those in charge of ensuring that Greens is reintroduced to society in safety – for him and the public – have no choice but to continue what they are doing.

I have total sympathy for the residents who have to endure Greens’ presence in their midst. No-one, but no-one, would like to have him anywhere nearby.

Yet no-one, but no-one, is being more closely monitored than Robert Greens. The conditions and restrictions imposed on Greens by the courts are still in place, and he is still being observed constantly, though no longer 24-7, while Midlothian Council and the police are doing their utmost to ensure the safety of the public.

I’m also pretty certain that if Greens so much as shows his face anywhere in public, the jungle drums will resonate and everyone in Midlothian will know where he is in a few minutes.

The people of Midlothian also have every right to protest about Greens being rehoused just a few miles from where he carried out his vile deeds. That stinks, frankly, and they are correct to exercise their freedom of speech and demand that he be moved away from his place of disgrace. Nevertheless, they cannot influence much.

For by statute, Midlothian Council must house Greens and take responsibility for him. And in the final analysis, you cannot argue with the law. Defy the law, and we are all bound to Hell.

I have no doubt the protesters will have made their point by the time you read this. But on balance, they should now go back to their lives and let the council and police deal with Greens.

If he breaks his conditions, or re-offends, he will be locked up for many years. In the meantime, in this imperfect society that often just muddles through such situations because we don’t really know how to deal with evil deeds, we have to hope that those who are superintending Greens will deal correctly with the extremely troublesome problems he presents.

If they don’t, I dread to think of the consequences. But I also dread to think of what might happen should vigilante law win the day anywhere in Scotland.