Capital coalition on the brink over privatisation

THE coalition running Edinburgh city council is on the brink of collapse after a series of rows between the Liberal Democrat and SNP groups.

They will enter into “conflict resolution” this week following a fall-out over plans to privatise services including rubbish collection and street cleaning.

Lib Dem group secretary Paul Edie warned that the partnership with the SNP may have reached “the end of the road”.

The Lib Dems, the largest party, have shared power with the Nationalists since 2007. However, tensions have been building up in recent months.

The SNP said it would vote against the Lib Dem plans to appoint the private facilities firm Enterprise to take over environmental services.

The move followed a near collapse in August when the parties clashed over a vote to determine whether the tram line would run to St Andrew Square or stop short of the city centre at Haymarket.

The SNP abstained on the vote, throwing the project into chaos when Labour and the Conservatives joined to defeat the administration, only to back the Lib Dem’s stance to take the line to St Andrew Square at an emergency vote the following week.

Edie added: “We have to now resolve a group position but it may well mean the end of the road for the coalition. My colleagues have been pushed almost to the brink here.”

If the coalition collapsed the Lib Dems could run the city as a minority administration, but would struggle to implement policies as they would have just 16 of the 58 councillors.

SNP leader Steve Cardownie said he would discuss the issue with his group.

He added: “We will discuss it on Monday when we get in, but they have asked for a meeting and we will hear what they have to say. Until I get their interpretation of events I do not know how we will respond.”