from Sunday Herald, 23 January 2005
LibDem councillors opposing the congestion charging scheme proposed for Edinburgh are coming under fire from members of their own party for damaging their environmental credentials.
At a meeting on Thursday evening, Edinburgh University Liberal Democrats voted overwhelmingly in favour of joining the campaign for a 'yes' vote in next month's referendum on the scheme.
This is a direct challenge to the city's LibDem councillors, who have been campaigning for a 'no' vote. But it reaffirms the party's long-held policy in support of congestion charging, said the student LibDem spokesman, Tim Cobbett.
"LibDems nationally are in favour of the principle and many LibDems in Edinburgh realise that this is the only chance we have to get such a scheme going here."
The students have been backed by the Glasgow LibDem councillor, Niall Walker, who told the Sunday Herald he was "disappointed" at the stance being taken by his Edinburgh colleagues. "I think politicians need to practice what they preach," he said. "This scheme may not be perfect but if it is cast out, nothing will happen."
Walker believes that the problems posed by climate change are so serious that any method of reducing the pollution that causes it should be grasped. "Anyone who doesn't see that is burying their head in the sand," he argued.
The suggestion that the scheme would damage business was "a lie", claimed Walker. His only fear was that the £2 charge for entering the city might not be enough to deter motorists. "I would make it £10," he said.
LibDem national policy is clearly in favour of congestion charging. The LibDem Scottish transport minister, Nicol Stephen, launched the Scottish Executive's policy to "support local road user charging implemented by local authorities".
LibDems in central Edinburgh, which could benefit from the congestion charging scheme, are known to be in favour. And the LibDem-controlled council in Cardiff is considering introducing a scheme similar to Edinburgh's to the Welsh capital.
"They are perfectly entitled to their views," responded Fred Mackintosh, the LibDem councillor leading the opposition to the Edinburgh scheme. But his view was that the scheme was badly flawed.
"It is the wrong scheme at the wrong time. It's premature," he said. More railways, more parking restrictions and a better bus service had to come first. He pointed out that the Labour Party was also deeply divided over the issue.
The stance of Edinburgh's LibDem councillors, however, was attacked as "short term political opportunism" by environmentalists. The students' decision to join the 'yes' campaign was very welcome, said the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, Duncan McLaren.
"It's a shame that a rogue element within the city have led the campaign against a scheme that many of their own members support and that would deliver so many benefits for Edinburgh residents."
