Success for Edinburgh is success for Scotland

TO many people, Edinburgh sums up much of what Scotland has to offer. The historic and stunning architecture, combined with the beautiful open spaces, represent much of what is great about our country.

The atmosphere of the festivals and the cosmopolitan mix of residents and visitors capture the essence of the nation. Edinburgh's role also includes being the seat of Scottish democracy and home to many national institutions.

The profile and prosperity of our country and its capital are intertwined. Each benefits from the success of the other, and the advantages of the council and Scottish Government working together are clear.

As part of that, we need to raise our game. Through our policies and leadership, we need to improve council performance and put our finances back on a sound footing.

Each year, there are arguments about who gets what in the financial settlement from the Government. For many, it can seem long-term planning is forgotten in the scramble. The pressures to take a short-term perspective are huge, especially in the run-up to an election. Our predecessors chose the short-term option, raiding reserves and keeping council tax artificially low in an attempt to paper over the cracks in their mismanagement of taxpayers' money. The consequences are well documented - a financial "black hole". However, democracy means local councils must accept responsibility for the actions of their predecessors. We accept that principle and our responsibility for Edinburgh's future.

The horizon for the new Lib Dem-led council stretches further than one year. We are in this for the long haul. Our success is Scotland's success and we think there's much more that can be achieved for both.

It's on that basis that we will be working with the new Scottish Government.

Scotland is changing and so is the Scottish public sector. We want Edinburgh to be at the forefront, looking to what our city can contribute in the future and what needs to be in place to achieve that. The pressures on public funding means we have to be smarter about providing services. It also means being smarter about generating the income we need and giving the best possible value for money.

No-one is pretending that this will be easy. We will work differently - basing our arguments on a shared understanding of Edinburgh's particular role, but backed by the evidence we are putting our own house in order.

The financial problems affecting the council will not be resolved in one year. We have started to bring spending under control while setting foundations for improved performance. We will continue with this approach for the benefit of residents and business now and for the future.

• Councillor Gordon Mackenzie is the convener of Edinburgh City Council's finance and resources committee.