[You should hum "In the bleak midwinter" to yourself as you read this]

As I write this, all over Leith rubbish is pouring out of the bins. There's places all over the city that have not had their bins emptied for at least three weeks. The Edinburgh LibDem environment leader, Cllr Aldridge is trying to blame this on the weather:

“Unfortunately there have been delays affecting some refuse collection routes due to the current cold snap, with some particularly icy roads becoming inaccessible to collection vehicles."

It's clear however that the bad weather isn't the whole story. For a start, it's obvious that the private sector companies that empty the recycling bins can get in to empty those - as every one I've seen has somehow managed to cope with the influx of christmas packaging. Could it be then that the cleansing and refuse staff ongoing 'Work to Rule" is having an impact?

So, bit of a crisis in the city. Councillors getting hundreds of complaints. City looks a real mess. The only thing that's stopping it from smelling like the midden are the weeks of sub zero temperatures. You need a bit more from your staff to tackle the backlog. But morale isn't exactly good. Earlier in the year they didn't take the prospect of a cut in their wages well, so you tried to get them back on side by threatening to outsource their jobs to the private sector. Surprisingly, this move didn't persuade them to end the work to rule, and so what do you next? Astoundingly, if you're Cllr Wheeler, you threaten to sack them all. Now of all times. The council needs all hands on deck to clear snow, ice and a back log of rubbish - in the coldest winter for decades. And this is the best tactical gambit he's got?

However, the executive seem proud of their ideological hatred of the public and voluntary sector, and today we see they've also a disdain for their moaning constituents. Today SNP councillor Work took a leaf out of the John Swinney school of diplomacy by suggesting to snow bound city residents that this is no time for laziness, and that everyone "stop expecting other people to do the work" – unless they are "90 years old".

In fact, it is the councils responsibility to clear at least the main pavements, as opposition leader Cllr Burns points out. This isn't happening, and even main streets like Leith Walk have been worse than ice-rinks for weeks - at least an ice rink is flat. It's interesting to read, in the Daily Telegraph of all places a bit of a comparison between cities:

"The capital’s pavements appeared to have escaped any clearance action from city employees. Yet photographs appeared in several newspapers, including this one, of Glasgow’s pavements being gritted by council workers. How can one city manage, when the other clearly cannot?"

If it's about cash, then surely this is a massive own goal. The bill that the council is running up paying for private sector contractors to fill in some of the service gaps that the Work to Rule / cold snap is leaving behind is rumoured to be in the millions. How long will this process run on for? Long enough to make a serious dent in any of the alledged savings that will be realised by closing 4 city primary schools? It's looking that way. 

After totally mismanaging the school closure process, being forced to back track on the frankly immoral proposals to cut the costs of care services by 20% by putting them out to tender, it seems the Libdem/SNP administration are intent on totally screwing up another key council service by pushing for more privatisation.

One can only come to the conclusion that this council is on some sort of suicide mission. Sadly, they seem intent on taking as many of the city residents, and previously functional council services, down with them as they can.

And by the way. Before you think I'm old school new Labour who thinks everything should be in the public sector forever amen - I'm not. I personally believe that if the council is serious about saving cash they should try radically outsourcing services to local community trusts and specialist non-profit organisations. But that's a subject for a whole other post.