Author Archives: Paul Edie

Opinion: How do we answer the West Kensington question?

By Paul Edie | Wed 25th January 2012 - 3:55 pm

I swore blind that I would not get drawn into what promises to be a long running battle over Scottish independence but Simon Hughes’ call for an English Parliament to answer the West Lothian Question has prompted me to pen this piece.

Scottish Nationalists wrongly claim that there is an easy solution to the West Lothian Question – independence for Scotland. They fail to remember that we still have devolution in Northern Ireland, Wales and the London Assembly. Independence for we Scots doesn’t make the issue go away for others.

We still refer to it as the West Lothian Question but it …

Posted in Op-eds | Tagged Scotland, Scottish independence referendum, snp and west lothian question | 28 Comments

Opinion: Cutting Crime in Scotland’s Festival City

By Paul Edie | Wed 2nd March 2011 - 11:08 am

Close partnership working and information sharing between agencies at a local level has contributed strongly to reductions in crime and anti social behaviour in Lib Dem led Edinburgh.

Scotland Capital, with its strong night time economy and festivals, has enjoyed reduced crime and antisocial behaviour in recent years. New shift patterns, leading to more officers being deployed where they are needed and when they are needed, have contributed to the reduction in crime. Co-located police officers, joint patrols with environmental wardens and information sharing between statutory agencies have also helped. Much of the improvement is also down to an …

Posted in Op-eds and Scotland | Tagged crime, neighbourhood working and Scotland | Leave a comment