Road tolls climbdown

They admitted many residents could pay only 20p to cross a toll cordon.

The admission came just hours after Labour’s vote collapsed at a council by-election last night – with the party admitting its plans to charge motorists to drive into Edinburgh had contributed to the slump.

The Tories claimed the idea of granting discounts was a “seismic shift” which showed Labour was “scared stiff” about the impact of tolls on the local elections next May.

It also emerged today as final counting on the second part of a public consultation exercise was completed that a only a minority of people living outside the Capital are willing to pay at any city bypass toll cordon.

But Labour denied it had radically reformed its thinking in the wake of public opinion or that it fears introducing tolls could see its vote at next year’s elections damaged.

The council’s transport leader said concessions had always been a possibility.

All parties are now trying to work out what impact a major swing against Labour in the Balerno by-election could have on marginal seats across the city.

The safe Conservative ward was held by the Tories after long-serving councillor Hugh Fraser retired.

His successor, Allan Laing, was elected with a reduced majority of 830 over his Liberal Democrat rival. But Labour slipped from second to fourth in the poll compared with their 1999 showing, and their share of the vote halved. Their candidate Norman Bonney got only 8.5 per cent of votes, compared with 17.8 per cent for the previous Labour contender in 1999.

The Lib Dems increased their share by 12 per cent.

Labour council leader Donald Anderson admitted his administration’s congestion charging plan had probably had an impact at the ballot box.

And he said: “If we’re going to address these significant concerns we possibly need to look at discount schemes, where instead of paying 2 for travelling across the cordon people would only pay 20p.”

It is understood that could apply to motorists who pay council tax in Edinburgh but live beyond the city bypass – which is where a toll cordon could be set up along with another around the city centre.

Areas include Balerno, Currie, Ratho, Kirkliston and South Queensferry.

It is thought other discounts may also be proposed, benefiting people who live outside any potential city centre cordon.

Cllr Anderson added: “I think I’d be lying if I said it [tolls] wasn’t a factor in the by-election.

He concluded: “We still need to consider our stance on all this.”

Meanwhile, it is understood even fewer people from outside Edinburgh have voted for a bypass toll than the minority of city residents who were in favour.

The exact figures from regional responses to a consultation questionnaire on tolls have not yet been revealed.

But when asked if the latest feedback from analysts showed a smaller minority in favour of a combined bypass and central cordon than the 44 per cent found in Edinburgh, transport leader Councillor Andrew Burns said: “That’s my sense of what’s happened. My general understanding is that there’s very similar levels of support on the periphery for the inner cordon. The issue is the outer cordon.”

Conservative group leader Councillor Iain Whyte said: “The issues that the voters raised with us were their total opposition to Labour’s road tolls and their annoyance over the state of the city’s road and pavement network. The result is a humiliation for the Labour administration whose grip on power is slipping away.”

On discounts for tolls, he said: “This is a seismic shift in position and blows the whole thing out of the water.

Scottish Tory leader David McLetchie said: “Labour is clearly identified as the driving force behind the tolls in Edinburgh, and we found on the doorsteps in Balerno that it is an issue, as it is throughout Edinburgh and the Lothians.

“I think the May 1 local elections next year could become a referendum on road tolls.”

Senior Liberal Democrat councillor Mike Pringle, who was at last night’s count, said: “This is a real disaster for Labour.”

He said he believed the tolls issue had been “very significant. It’s going to be really interesting to see if there’s a huge U-turn on this by Labour now.”

But Cllr Burns said: “I don’t think it’s ever been a secret that the council was always going to consider potential concessions and discounts.

“It should be no surprise that after we’ve got the full analysis of our consultation we should be considering extending concessions too. The opposition has consistently claimed that we wouldn’t listen to what was said [in the consultation]. That is not true. We will respond to it.”

By-election victor Allan Laing said: “I wish to thank all in the Balerno ward for their vote of confidence in electing me to serve on the City of Edinburgh Council.

I am aware that I will be following in the footsteps of Hugh Fraser who was much respected by the residents and I will strive to achieve the same high standards he has set in the past for the Balerno ward. I bring with me many previous years as a senior council official and will represent, to the best of my ability, all the residents of Balerno.

The turnout was 48.6 per cent.

Result:

Allan Laing (Conservative) 1542; Michael Crockart (Lib Dem) 712; George Mathers (SNP) 378; Norman Bonney (Labour) 253; William Brockie (Green) 87. Majority 830.

1999 result:

Hugh Fraser (Conservative) 2631; Chi Ng (Labour) 800; George Mathers (SNP) 597; John McCreesh (Lib Dem) 473. Majority 1831.