Green Party leader failed to attend a single tram meeting
A COUNCILLOR who now leads the Scottish Green Party failed to attend a single meeting overseeing Edinburgh’s disastrous tram project, an inquiry has heard.
The former head of the scheme, David Mackay, told the Edinburgh Tram Inquiry that then Green councillor Maggie Chapman neglected to attend any Tram Project Board meetings.
Miss Chapman left the City of Edinburgh Council, where she represented Leith Walk, in 2015 and is now Green co-convener.
Mr Mackay, one-time head of the council-owned arm’s length firm Transport Initiatives Edinburgh (TIE), also said other councillors seemed to have not read papers before the meetings, making their presence virtually worthless.
He told the inquiry, which is investigating why the project arrived three years late in 2014 at a cost of £1billion: ‘I think inevitably politicians find it difficult not to follow the party line ... And that led to a conflict.
‘One councillor, for instance, never attended a board meeting but received all the papers.’
Mr Mackay was initially unwilling to name and shame the councillor. Asked by inquiry senior counsel Jonathan Lake, QC: ‘Which councillor was that?’ he asked chairman Lord Hardie: ‘Am I required to name that councillor?’
After Lord Hardie told him he was, he said: ‘It was the Green councillor, Maggie Chapman.’
Mr Lake went on: ‘Did you consider this a disadvantage to the board over and above it that she was getting the papers you’ve described?’
Mr Mackay said: ‘Yes, she was in receipt of papers. I don’t know what she did with the papers.
‘Other councillors sometimes appeared to open their papers on the day of the board meeting.’
Mr Lake asked him: ‘Presumably that would mean they could provide little, if any, effective input and challenge?’ Mr Mackay replied: ‘Yes.’ Tram Project Board meetings were meant to be attended by a handful of councillors as well as representatives from TIE, Transport Scotland, the council and Transport Edinburgh.
Mr Mackay explained: ‘Councillors who sat on the [Tram Project Board] were meant to be independent watchdogs similar to the role of non-executive directors. They were also obviously representing their wards and voters.’
He also discussed the deadthat lock between TIE and construction contractors on Princes Street in 2009. Contractors downed tools on the main shopping thoroughfare for a month, demanding up to £80million on top of their original fee for ‘unforeseen underground conditions’.
Mr Mackay said: ‘We’d already paid for preliminaries, we did not expect to be held to ransom on Princes Street.
‘I have absolutely no doubt Princes Street was a tactic to bring Edinburgh, TIE and [the council] to our knees. And it almost worked.’
Inquiry chiefs have also published the written statement of Richard Walker, former managing director of building contractor Bilfinger Berger, who gave testimony last Wednesday.
His statement said TIE manipulated the facts to put contractors in ‘a bad light’ while they were restrained from answering because of a gagging clause.
He said: ‘I have 40 years in this industry and I have never met such a group of disparate, lying, conniving, arrogant individuals in my life. To call themselves public servants is an absolute disgrace.’
Later, discussing his overall impression of the scheme, he wrote: ‘If it was my money, I would want somebody to be accountable for the wastage.
‘I hope this inquiry does more than just look for a way forward, and does something to bring these people to account who’ve acted in such a disgraceful manner.’
The inquiry continues.
‘Lying, conniving individuals’