As Burnham and Swinney back new powers for Edinburgh. What does it all mean?
Andy Burnham is keen. John Swinney is keen. All of a sudden everyone wants to hand more power and money to the Edinburgh city-region.
Over the last week the Prime Minister joined the First Minister in publicly declaring his support for devolving decision-making and funding to the region, confirming The Inquirer’s exclusive last month. The regional devolution bandwagon is rolling.
So does that mean that Burhamism or Manchesterism - whatever those terms mean - is on its way to Edinburgh? Well, not quite. We can expect some parallels with what happened in the north of England, but Edinburgh’s version of devolution is likely to be quite different.
Who’ll be our Burnham? Well, no one actually. There is no appetite to appoint a mayor, or a “back-door” regional council for that matter, as that is seen as creating another layer of government bureaucracy. Instead, we can expect a decision-making committee with representatives from all the region’s local authorities. Think of it like the Jedi Council, but for South-East Scotland.
Who’d be on ‘the Jedi Council’? The governance put in place to oversee the ongoing and successful Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is the favoured model. That’s the six leaders of six local authorities - Edinburgh’s Jane Meagher (the only woman), East Lothian’s Norman Hampshire, Midlothian’s Russell Imrie, West Lothian’s Lawrence Fitzpatrick, Fife’s David Ross, and Euan Jardine representing the Scottish Borders - plus business and university representatives, including Edinburgh University Principal Sir Peter Mathieson. Together they’ve overseen £600m of UK and Scottish government spending, plus £1bn in local authority, university and private funding it helped leverage. The City Deal Joint Committee met on Friday to discuss progress.
Won’t that be a bit cumbersome? One memorable descriptions of Andy Burnham’s role as Manchester mayor was “knocking council leaders heads together”. Who’ll do that if there’s no over-arching mayor? Much may depend on the region’s political line-up. If we ignore for a moment next May’s elections, we’re heading for a committee dominated by five Labour politicians (the Conservatives’ Euan Jardine in the Borders being the exception). However, the local elections could change everything.
Does it mean cheap bus fares? Burnham might be best known for delivering cheap bus fares and giving beds to the homeless in Manchester, but under his leadership it built the strongest city economy in England outside London. The Edinburgh City-Region would decide its own priorities.
Economic engine: The City Deal’s investment in key projects, such as data tech innovation, major housing development at Winchburgh, regional bus services and more, is credited with supporting the capital’s recent economic success. The Edinburgh city-region economy has been growing twice as fast as that of Scotland in the decade to 2023, contributing a third of the total Scottish economy with just 20% of the population. If this area’s economy was to slow and grow in line with the decade’s Scotland-wide growth, the economy would shrink by more than £12 billion.
What difference will it make? With a new ability to pool resources and commit to projects over the longer term, the City-Region would be able to deliver major projects in a way local government can’t without Holyrood or Westminster sign-off. Six key priorities have been identified in a proposition in the process of being drafted, and which is due to be discussed in detail by each of the local councils over the next few weeks. These are: housing delivery; transport infrastructure and planning; skills and labour market; business and innovation; climate resilience and natural capital; tourism and culture.
More brownfield building: So in tackling the need for more affordable housing, for example, expect greater collaboration and co-ordination over all public land, improved access to funding streams for brownfield sites, and regional development corporation powers.
What happens next? John Swinney had promised three months of “intensive talks”, but most of the principles have been agreed over many months of negotiation between the local authorities and the UK and Scottish governments. Expect a detailed plan to be signed off by the councils next March, to be taken to the Scottish and UK Governments, with Scottish Government enabling legislation likely to come into force in 2028.
Cummings-linked group behind aggressive online campaign for Granton extension
A London-based campaign advised by Dominic Cummings is behind an aggressive online drive in support of extending Edinburgh’s trams to Granton, The Inquirer can reveal.
The Looking for Growth campaign has attacked the Save the Roseburn Path protesters as “a small group of NIMBYs” in a series of online posts in recent days. They accuse the local campaigners of using their “wealth and influence” to try to stop the extension and thereby denying the residents of Granton the jobs and opportunities the trams would bring.
Looking for Growth is run by Lawrence Newport, an ally of Boris Johnson’s Brexit advisor Dominic Cummings, through his company Something Completely Different, based in London’s South Bank.
The 35-year-old academic turned campaigner told Politics Home that he regularly gets advice from Cummings - “I come to him a lot. He knows his stuff” - and that he is determined to campaign “relentlessly” for economic growth.
Crunch vote: The online campaign comes ahead of Thursday’s meeting of the city council’s transport and environment committee which is due to vote on the business case for building a new tram line from Granton to Little France via the city centre. Councillors are expected to agree to shelve the northern section of the proposed line in the face of the local campaign against the Roseburn Path route. They may also vote to remove the option from the local authority’s plans.
Influence in Westminster: Newport is well connected in Westminster. He has reportedly been invited into 10 Downing Street, while Labour MP Chris Curtis, Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam and Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf have all spoken at Looking for Growth conferences.
Viral action: Looking for Growth typically organises stunts designed to go viral. Its previous campaigns have included cleaning graffiti off the Tube in London with Tom Harwood from GB News.
Support for the route: Extending the trams to Granton would be expected to bring significant social and economic benefits to one of the capital’s most deprived neighbourhoods. The Granton and District Community Council have written an open letter in support of bringing the trams to the north of the city, while the Chamber of Commerce has backed the move for the economic benefits it would bring. The council has examined an alternative route for the northern line over Dean Bridge, but it Is more
South Bridge warning: Sticking with the proposed tram extension, Edinburgh World Heritage has reiterated its concerns about proposals to take the trams over South Bridge. It says its concerns have not been properly addressed ahead of Thursday’s meeting and points to a council-commissioned report saying the structure is “not suitable to carry tram loading”.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
SHIRLEY GOES NATIONAL: Portobello’s own Shirley Manson has teamed up with with the National Theatre to create a short film as part of its 20th anniversary celebrations. The Garbage singer turned Hollywood star narrates Smoke which imagines how a future Scotland might look. It will be shown at the Filmhouse in October, before being distributed for free on the BBC’s digital channels and the iPlayer from January.
BACKING THE FESTIVALS: To say the Festivals and the city’s oldest conservation charity the Cockburn Association don’t always see eye-to-eye would be an understatement. So their backing of the Festivals in their battle for more funding, and a fairer deal from the city’s new Visitor Levy, feels significant. The Association has published a thoughtful response highlighting the importance of maintaining affordable access for the kind of experimental and up-and-coming artists who have made the Fringe what it is today. What’s that noise? Is it the sound of tectonic plates moving beneath Edinburgh’s cultural life?
MINIMUM WAGE NON-PAYERS: A number of Edinburgh and Lothians businesses have been named by the UK Government’s Department for Business and Trade for failing to pay staff minimum wage. Highest was Mrs Fiona Burgoyne, trading as Horsechoice just outside the Capital in the Pentlands, who owed four workers a total of more than £22,000. The DBT accepts that not all underpayments are intentional, but names all employers who fail to meet the minimum wage requirements with the full list published here.
STOLEN CHURCH CROSS: A warrant has been issued for the arrest of a man who stole a cross from the altar of the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Lauriston Street. Gordon Shields from East Lothian failed to turn up for sentencing this week for the theft carried out in 2022.
PUFFIN DANGER: Puffin numbers on the Isle of May has fallen significantly as a result of falling food supplies and increasing extreme weather conditions in the Firth of Forth. The number of burrows occupied by the seabirds on one of the UK’s biggest colonies has fallen by 30% in the last two years, to 36,500 from 52,000. NatureScot described the survey results as “disappointing and concerning”.
UNI FIRST: Heriot Watt University has appointed its first female principal, Professor Nola Hewitt-Dundas, who joins from Queen’s University Belfast. She is an internationally recognised academic in innovation and science policy and currently serves as a non-executive board member of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
GREENS DREAM: The Greens were the biggest winners in last Thursday’s city council by-election. Their candidate Lorenzo Martinico was voted in as a councillor for Portobello-Craigmillar and the party narrowly missing out on the other seat that was up for grabs in Newington-Southside. It was the Greens first ever council by-election win in Edinburgh and the first time the Greens have had two councillors in any local authority ward in Scotland. The full significance of the results will only become clear after next May’s local elections, but they have led a number of informed commentators to wonder whether the Greens might become the largest party on the city council.
Labour up, SNP down: It was also a good night for Labour as they cemented their hold on ‘the people’s republic of Edinburgh South‘ when Ruth Elliott was elected in Newington-Southside. It was a disappointing night for the SNP who were defending both seats. A watershed moment? Heck, we don’t know. We’ll find out next May.
£1.4M DRUGS RAID: Police have recovered cannabis and cocaine worth £1.4m in raids on properties in Leith, Granton and Uphall in West Lothian. Two men, aged 37 and 62, and are due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court in connection with the haul which police described as “significant”.
Pic of the week
THE BUSINESS
Grant support for city exporters
The Capital’s exporters are being urged to use available support to help them access of grow overseas trade.
Business Gateway Edinburgh is offering fresh financial support, with grants of up to £2000 available to companies of any size through The Export Support Grants scheme, which it is running on behalf of the city council.
The scheme is designed to help local businesses develop opportunities in new or existing international markets, while supporting employment and investment in the city. The funding is open to businesses of any size, provided they are already trading, registered in the UK, headquartered within the City of Edinburgh Council area and applying for the grant for the first time.
DATA CENTRES: Efforts to impose a Scotland-wide moratorium on data centres appear to have failed, reports Daily Business. Scottish Greens had been pressuring the Scottish Government to pause the development of all data centres – including in Edinburgh - but during First Minister’s Questions last week John Swinney told Greens leader Ross Greer that he believed the government had already taken sufficient action when introduced guidelines to protect community interests.
CAPITAL AWARDS: Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce has launched its 2027 Annual Business Awards, the Capital’s biggest, with submissions now open. The event, which will take place early next year at the EICC, last year saw more than 170 entries, and 611 business leaders and entrepreneurs from 180 organisations attended the awards event.
GROWTH ON MENU: Edinburgh Food and Drink Academy, formerly the New Town Cookery School, has appointed leading chef and culinary educator Aisha Elshani as head teacher. With wide experience in the hospitality sector, including several years as a culinary arts lecturer at Edinburgh College, is looking to expand its professional cookery courses, interest classes and events as it builds towards its aim of supporting Scotland’s food and drink sector across the UK and internationally.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
TILDA TICKETS: Tickets to see Tilda Swinton return to the Traverse stage and reprise her role in the landmark production Man to Man go on general sale on Wednesday. The Oscar-winning actor starred in the original production nearly 40 years ago at the Traverse, before successfully transferring to London’s Royal Court Theatre, in what were her last live theatre performances.
ART WALKING: Porty Art Walk Weekends continue this Saturday and Sunday. Enjoy the work of artists in their homes and studios by the seaside.
THUNDERING HOOVES: The spectacular Riding of the Marches returns on Sunday with thousands of spectators expected to greet the horse riders re-enacting the historic tradition when they reach the Royal Mile.
TALKING GREEN: Author and journalist Vicky Allan will be discussing her work and environmental issues in a special online event tonight at 6.30-7pm. Anyone is welcome to join the talk for Humankind by signing up in advance at Vicky Allan on the Environment.
QUICK BITES
PROST! Edinburgh’s Brewhemia, which lays claim to being Scotland’s largest indoor hospitality venue, is to hold Oktoberfest from 19 September – 4 October over its seven bars across five rooms. The Bavarian extravaganza will include beer, naturally, but also a packed programme of events, brunches and late-night entertainment at its Market Street venue.
MISS STEAK: Sad news for steak lovers. Popular city centre steakhouse Bar + Block at 121 Princes Street has closed its doors for good as part of a major UK-wide restructure by owners Whitebread’s, which is closing all of its standalone branded restaurants.