The Institute of Directors, Scotland, held the first "Edinburgh Hustings" for May's Scottish Parliamentry Election a week ago on 8th March in the offices of HSBC in Hanover Street, Edinburgh. Four representatives of the main political parties were given five minutes to set out their policies before the floor was thrown open to questions from the packed audience of Directors.
The inevitable question was asked, "if your party becomes the Scottish Government in the next Parliament, would you give even more money, over and above the £500 million already allocated from the taxpayer, in order to complete the Edinburgh trams project - especially in these times of severe economic stringency?"
For the SNP, Kenny MacAskill, who spoke very well, was very clear; he stated that his party had always been against the trams project and he was adamant that the SNP would give the project no more money.
For the Conservatives, David McLetchie was also very strongly opposed to giving any public money directly to the trams project and said that it was clearly the responsibility of Edinburgh City Council to complete the project.
Labour's Andy Kerr, the Shadow Minister of Finance, said that he also considered it was the City Council's job to finish the project.
Lastly, Jeremy Purvis for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, obviously did not wish to upset the LibDems in power in the City so, while saying that it was the City's job to finish off the project, felt that the capital could not be left in limbo with the present, unsatisfactory situation, so he hoped that the mediation talks would have success.
All in all, there is very little political support for the Edinburgh trams project and it looks as though the City Council are going to have to find the money - bad news indeed for the ratepayers of Edinburgh who look like being forced to pay for the incompetence of the Council and of their arms-length company Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (tie).
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