Letter: Council healthy

Your editorial (4 September) said that Edinburgh Council's prospective new chief executive Sue Bruce would need to take firm action on the council's budgets. We certainly face an unprecedented public sector deficit which will pose huge challenges for this council, and all others, in coming years.

However, Sue Bruce will at least find that, for the first time in this council's existence, all its departments came in under budget at the end of the last financial year. This is a remarkable achievement in already difficult financial circumstances but even more exceptional when compared with the abysmal situation my administration inherited in May 2007.

Not only does our approach demonstrate strong financial control, it shows strong leadership as we faced up to making very difficult decisions. We will need more of the same as we face incredibly difficult choices in setting our next few budgets.

We will focus on getting the right results for Edinburgh. While the media and some commentators may think otherwise, I believe our residents want the city's leaders to be concentrating on the job in hand rather than courting publicity for the sake of it.

Jenny Dawe

Leader, City of Edinburgh Council

Edinburgh