Lunch with Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP

This afternoon I attended a fundraiser in the Capital which saw Sir Malcolm Rifkind MP speak as guest of honour.

Rifkind, who was Edinburgh Pentlands MP from 1974 to 1997, spoke regarding the Independence debate where he pointed out with 30 to 40 years of consistent opinion polls giving 33 - 36% support in favour, it is hardly surprising that Alex Salmond is keen to delay the referendum. 

During the event, the MP for Kensington & Chelsea presented Cllr Alastair Paisley a token of appreciation for his services as a Councillor in the Capital (he was elected back in 1996) and flowers to Alastair's long suffering supportive wife, Inez.

Now, Paisley as we all know, is quite a character.  He made the newspapers last July after claiming £2.40 mileage for cycling to meetings  and even made it into Ken Smith's Herald Diary last week:

Edinburgh Tory councillor Alastair Paisley tells us there is much debate about Scots living in England not being allowed to vote in the independence referendum.

 

"Someone worked out," he tells us, "that nine of the 11 players in the Scottish international football team won't be able to vote.

"But not to worry – they're not able to put a cross in the box anyway."

Saturday session - cold but very rewarding as the campaign heats up

Whilst out and about on my travels on Saturday, I visited residents at Balfour Court ahead of the Disabled Parking Bays being put in place later this month.  These parking bays were something I fought for and delighted to have been able to make a difference.    Residents are eagerly awaiting this fantastic addition

Canvassing followed and it was off to the Craigs part of the world.  Casework coming out of speaking to people on the doorstep is part of the buzz of seeking election and I'll be putting pen to paper this week in order to get results for fed up residents. 

After a few hours door knocking, I took a trip to the Drum Brae Library Hub to pick up an application form to join the library (I've not been a member of a library since the I was about 13!) and also to pick up tickets to see Scotland Rugby legend Kenny Logan talk about his passion for rugby and his experiences of dyslexia.

Tickets for the event can be obtained through the contact details here: http://yourlibrary.edinburgh.gov.uk/blogs/2012/02/kenny-logan-drumbrae-library-hub

That was the week that was.....

Well, a week is a long time in politics as Harold Wilson once said.  Well, as I write this exactly one week since my last blog post, to me, this week has flown by!

Since last time, it's been a busy old week.

Tuesday and Wednesday saw over 600 leaflets dropping through the doors of Craigmount.

Thursday saw me scoot round Drum Brae North after work followed by a trip to the Drum Brae Leisure Centre to catch up with the West Neighbourhood Lothian & Borders Police who were hosting a 'raising awareness' open evening.  It was good to chat to the officers in attendance and find out more about what they are doing to keep crime at the welcome low levels in Drum Brae / Gyle.

A well earned Friday night off deliveries but it was off to the HQ to sort out the weekend's workload.

Saturday - yuck! What a wet, cold and miserable morning.  Still, those leaflets don't self-deliver and it was time to hunt out the hat and the fleece before heading to Barntongate.  Thankfully, there were a few tenements to hide in deliver whilst the rain battered off the corrugated stair roof! 

Following a brief de-thaw at Chez Brown, it was back out on the campaign trail, but not before heading to the Drum Brae Library Hub.  The £5.7m building is a fantastic addition to the area and has already been visited over a 1,000 times since it opened on the 31st January.

Least said about the Rugby that followed.....

Sunday saw a mammoth session!  Up early - the roofing contractor coming round to finish putting it back together at 9am following the storms from the start of January - and raring to go.

A staggering (I nearly was by the end - my legs were like lead!) 7 and a half hours of leafletting and door knocking in the ward gave me plenty inspiration as the campaign gets nearer to the business end.

One thing I have noticed though since the beginning of January, the campaign is making the bathroom scales talk nicer to me!

Half a stone off so far leads me to think that I maybe need a campaign slogan....How about "Gain Vote - Lose Pounds".

Early intervention gets dangerous Clermiston Green pothole filled

Following several complaints from residents in the Clermiston area earlier this month over the size of the pothole at Clermiston Green, I took immediate action by informing the Council's Roads Services department on 7th January.

Below is the reply:

from: Annie Bent
to: Mark Brown

date: Thu, Jan 19, 2012 at 10:14 AM

Dear Mr Brown

Thank you for your email.  Please accept my apologies for the delay in providing you with an update.

On receipt of your original email the Roads Officer inspected the defects identified in your photos.

Arrangements are being made for repairs to be undertaken.

Kind regards

Annie

--

With the high cost to the Council and taxpayer in pothole compensation claims, prompt attention and hopefully prevention rather than cure can be put into action here.

From the photos, you can see that whilst the reported pothole at the top has been fixed (photo on the right) there is still more work to be done.  I will continue to keep the pressure up on the Council to get our roads up to scratch.

Pressure pays off as Mearenside BusTracker finally reinstated

Where incumbent Councillor pressure has previously failed, I have forced the Council into a dramatic U-turn just weeks after they reported that “We have no plans to replace the Bustracker display at Mearenside”.

Back in mid-December, the Council’sTransport Policy & Planning department advised me that “the cost of repeated repairs is simply not sustainable”. I was therefore delighted to note last week, whilst out and about meeting local residents, that the Bustracker had finally been replaced.

This is fantastic news for local residents who have been without this service for several months. The Bustracker is a great tool for bus users, particularly when the No.31 can at times be erratic in its timekeeping in relation to the paper timetable.

After liaising with the local Safer Neighbourhood Police team regarding the situation, I was advised that from 1st January 2011 the Police had received no reports of vandalism to Maybury Drive or Mearenside relating to the Bustracker vandalism. 

I find it odd that the Council had chosen to remove the Bustracker but failed to report any criminal activity to the Police.  Only by reporting incidents of vandalism can the Police respond and react. 

I am delighted to hear though that our local Safer Neighbourhood Team Police Officer for the area Mark Coull's anti-social behaviour figures are improving in the area over the past few months.

Taking residents issues head on and delivering actions – not words – is key for any aspiring Councillor.  I will deliver what I promise and will continue to take up any and all issues on residents behalf.

Action Day - Saturday shifts 2,000 leaflets

A great morning of thought provoking chat with Councillors and Candidates was followed by an Action Day in the Drum Brae / Gyle ward as the Vote Brown campaign gathers momentum with just over 100 days to go until voting day.

After a hearty lunch at Maison Broon, it was out and about to let people know exactly what's been happening since the Winter leaflet went out. 

With local residents coming on board and joining Team Brown, enthused by the record of action being delivered so far, the campaign is growing from strength to strength every week.

Onwards and upwards.

Speaking for my Supper - Edinburgh West Burns Night

Well, Saturday night saw me do my first ever Toast to the Lassies at a Burns Supper, in front of over 60 members and friends.

I had completed my Burns research and prepared my speech at least 5 minutes before heading to the venue - the Holy Cross Church in Davidson Mains!

After a fine feed and the early entertainment (aka the warm-up acts!), it was time for the main show.  Have to say that, despite my love for haggis, I'm not much of a Burns fan, so I was more than nervous of the delivery.  Alas, it seemed to go well and I got a few laughs (out of sympathy?!).

The Reply on behalf of the Lassies was something else.  Yes, it was Mrs Brown. Yikes!  I was worried. 

Well, the good lady had them chuckling and she was the star of the show.  I came out slightly bruised but lived to tell the tail.

It was great to see so many of our members out on a cold night to catch up and have a fantastic time.

The View from the Top Table