The People have been heard!

STOP PRESS! I am told that Edinburgh Leisure's board has gone some way to responding to the please by protesting parents to keep open the creches at sports centres that were the victims of cuts to Edinburgh Leisure brought on by the City Council's SNP/LibDem administration. I understand that the Board has agreed to keep 4 of the 8 creches open.

The women who led these protests should be very proud of themselves. They have maybe not got everything they wanted but its a whole lot more than would have been the case had they not stood up and been counted. The Labour Group and wider Party was pleased to support the campaign and offer some help, which was well received , but the truth is, these women did it for themselves.

The Edinburgh Leisure board should also be congratulated for listening to those protesting. The Boards actions are in stark contrast to the SNP/LibDem administration for whom listening is a foreign concept. They have to realise that their “a big boy did it and ran away” style of political excuses has worn so thin it is more than see through. I will lay bets however, that the SNP/LibDem administration will instead soon be claiming the credit themselves, but we know the truth

I am personally pleased as I had previously defended the creches back in 2001 in my role as the then Convener of the Social Justice and Older people scrutiny panel when they were previously under threat.