Trams debacle shames Edinburgh

It seems to be the way of things these days that whenever a mistake is made that can't be covered up effectively, the cry is inevitably quickly heard that it is "Time to move on."

The impression is created that there is no point spending time in doing old fashioned things like trying to assign blame or ensure lessons can be properly learned, the important thing is to gamely 'fess up', maybe even take a slap bravely, but then move on......to the next well padded pay packet or pay off.

Having gerrymandered a vote through a democratic chamber in disarray, in which the main administrative party succeeded in voting entirely the opposite way to which they have pledged themselves for 4 years, the light rail project has for the time being flopped exhausted, onto a rocky shore.

Here it will doubtless wheeze and flounder for the next few years, heaving itself forward spasmodically from time to time, but never with conviction, and always threatened by disease and infirmity..

Instead of the muscular symbol of a vigerous civic pride, it is far more likely now to endure as a dissipated reproach to civic vanity and an age of incontinent, debt fuelled hubris.

 Whether it can be built to St Andrews Square, or not, is no longer the point for the people behind the project.  The point now is that whatever distress it suffers from now on; it suffers it quietly, out of sight of good people going about their business.

The councillors of all parties who have done little more than look on as bewildered bystanders as the events have unfolded these last few years already fear the verdict of even a forgetfull electorate next May. Because they know some smells just can't be washed away, however much soft soap is used to try and do so..

Indeed they fear the stink around this beached and gasping carcass may not just linger until next Spring, but may possibly even worsen, between now and then.

Yet satisfying as it may be for the electorate to be recalled to the facts at next year's election, and club down a few ranks of the party members already quaking before their verdict, it may be that the calling to account will not be sounding in the ears of the true authors of the catastrophe.

The heads that will be rolling out of the Polling booths won't be the heads of the people most responsible.

Those heads, belong to what used be called the Civil Servants;are the heads of the people that debated behind the scenes,  before fashioning the reports that posed as impartial but invariably appeared anything but; will doubtless be busy 'moving on'. 

 Whether literally heading to pastures new,in another well remunerated public authority or 'arms length' quango,-- with bundles of notes to cushion the pain of their hurt feelings, and how painful must they be that the cash bundles be so large? --- or simply 'moving on' in the equally familiar,  metaphorical sense.

Staying put physically, at the same desks in the same well remunerated jobs, but putting behind them the nastiness, strife and indelicate prospects of a city left financially crippled outside their Ivory towers. 

Averting their delicate gaze from the wreckage of the reality of their bloated project, casting it's pall across the rest of us in the city for decades ahead; a  pollution cloud of blight out of all proportion or relation to the hopelessly compromised and shrivelled physical reality.

While we're all watching it squeal round the corners with it's half empty carriages, paying for it until today's primary school children are middle aged, they'll already be getting their expensive PR people to explain to us how hard they're working on the next big thing---- telling us not to  worry about the boring details but instead look at the lovely pictures in the inspiring brochure and leave everything to them...again.

We'll all be stuck with it, but of course they won't;----- because they'll have moved on.