Tram fiasco

The comments attributed to Edinburgh’s transport convenor, Gordon Mackenzie, that he and his colleagues felt ill-equipped to scrutinise the development of the Edinburgh trams project (your report, 11 October), are a tragic indictment of why we continue to have such little faith in such developments.

These admissions from a senior councillor, involved at the heart of the ill-fated project, are to be welcomed in giving us a pointer to the management of the risks involved in any public procurement project.

That such problems should arise in the same city as the massively over-budget Scottish Parliament building indicates that lessons are not being learned and a blind eye is being turned against industry best practice.

Mr Mackenzie’s comments are particularly damning in his clear lack of appreciation of the boundaries and responsibilities of the role of elected representatives and the executive, empowered to run the business of the council. Councillors are there to hold the executive to account, not to align themselves so closely with it that they are unable to give political leadership.

The complexities of compliance and corporate governance at all levels of government in Scotland are there for a reason: to ensure the most effective delivery of public services within a controlled framework of risk management.

The executive teams in our councils across Scotland are immensely well qualified, experienced and rewarded to continue the improvements in service delivery we need to see in the tough spending environment we are currently facing.

That Mr Mackenzie was unable, as convenor of a crucial council committee, to call on the expertise contained within the council executive simply beggars belief. Politicians of all levels are in office to serve, regardless of background or professional experience. If they lack the skill sets to effectively govern, then like anyone else in civic society, they should ask for training and support. They must not carry on regardless.

Next May, the Scottish people will have the opportunity to elect the next generation of local government leaders. In the absence of an inquiry into the trams project, unfortunately we will once again be placing our faith in individuals who, when elected, will be unable or unwilling to understand their basic role in local government.

We need to radically improve the calibre of our councillors and, above all else, we need clear political leadership.

Douglas A Thomson

Blacket Place

Edinburgh

With touching candour, Gordon Mackenzie declares that he was “out of his depth” in his role as overseer of the city’s tram project.

Yet only in January of last year, Councillor Mackenzie said: “For the absence of doubt, the tram project will be delivered in 2012, as promised, and for a sum far less than £1 billion despite what the apparent experts quoted say to the contrary.” Was this just false bravado, designed to deceive the public? Or was the man so far out of his depth that he didn’t actually realise he was out of his depth?

Either way, he should certainly be out of his job.

David Jackson Young

India Street

Edinburgh