Trams back on track
And so the SNP government gave way. To a degree.
Defeated by the combined might of the opposition parties, John Swinney, the finance secretary, announced in Holyrood tonight that he was conceding.
Edinburgh trams will go ahead - and he鈥檒l look again at the project to build a rail link to the capital鈥檚 airport.
So the will of parliament prevails.
SNP ministers calculate they can bank some goodwill by giving ground on this - goodwill they may need to cash later in still more troubled times ahead.
But up to a point, Lord Copper.
Mr Swinney accepts the terms of the motion enforced upon him by the three main opposition parties.
That means any cost overrun will land upon the city council.
And while Mr Swinney will review the airport link, he says bluntly that he thinks it鈥檚 鈥渉ad it鈥.
Stand by for an alternative, much less ambitious scheme.
I'm 
Comments
So it's hello trams and good-bye EARL. 2-0 to the Greens, I think.
There should be a line drawn in the sands of time, today Labour, Conservatives, Greens and Liberals further committed Scotland to Trams for Townies; we should be prepared to revisit this issue when the project achieves cost overrun No1.
Will Edinburgh Council Tax payers be happy to fund the normal cost overruns that beleaguer such Government projects; a cost an overrun is possibly the only certainty that can be predicted for this project?
edinburgh needs the trams,probably more extensive than what its getting.if you have ever taken time to have a look at the number buses on princess steet at peak periods you have to wonder just how many more you could squeeze in.most cities of similar size and status in europe have alternatives to the bus (underground trams metro)as for the airport link it is also needed although perhaps not earl.it is geographically best suited for the most of scotland and should good direct rail links to the rest of scotland.
Edinburgh doesn't need the trams. The reason why the city is clogged up with buses is that the buses connect with many different parts of the city. The one, single five hundred and seventy million tramline will not benefit the vast majority of Edinburgh residents. Some in Edinburgh (very often those who live no-where near the proposed route) often talk about how badly we need this system - but he vast majority of people I speak to who live in my area of LEith Walk, don't think there lives will be imporoved by a tram doing what a bus can.
Edinburgh needs the trams as badly as I need an ill-fitting, overpriced, badly fitting Prada jacket.
I see the "we are Bought and sold for English gold" brigade are doing their best to live under England's rule so they can keep collecting their wages from their London paymasters, Labour, Tories and Liberals, shame on you, The same kind who sold us out in 1707.
TRAMS A BIG/BIG AND VERY EXPENSIVE
MISTAKE