Gina Davidson: It's time to wheel Phil out of office

SOMETIMES the gods are crueller than is really necessary. They christened our Phil the wonderfully appropriate surname of Wheeler, raised him to the dizzy heights of Edinburgh's transport convener . . . then they gave him the trams to deal with and the political nous of a wonky shopping trolley.

Where is our illustrious transport leader when the city needs him most? Edinburgh is in the grip of a gridlock never experienced before thanks to the diversions caused by the tramworks at The Mound, at Haymarket, in Leith Walk, the resurfacing works in the Canongate, the closure of Johnstone Terrace, the odd massive crater in the road which throws up yet another set of temporary traffic lights . . . the list goes on.

So when better for our Phil to step up to the plate and make the beleaguered travelling public of Edinburgh feel safe in the knowledge that there's no gain without pain, and that all will be worthwhile in the long term, and that the tram will secure world peace, yadda, yadda, yadda . . .

And yet – nothing. Not a peep. He's left his leader Jenny Dawe high and dry dealing with all the political fallout while he gives statements about parking spaces in Leith Walk and hands out platitudes about park-and-ride sites opening five years late.

Even on the thorny subject of prams on buses he appears to be flailing, saying he would "like to ask" Lothian Buses to change its stance. That's the 91 per cent council-owned bus company. More a soapy wet hand in a Marigold than iron fist in velvet glove is our Phil.

He can't even get it right when it comes to where the Hearts war memorial will be sited after its removal to make way for trams. While "wheels-of-spiel" Phil talks of a two-year consultation, the council's leader and her deputy have categorically stated the memorial will be back in place at Haymarket – end of story.

Of course, his absence has been noted at the highest levels. When the city was in complete turmoil last week as Princes Street was closed, even his boss admitted: "I would have assumed that Phil Wheeler might have been saying things, but I don't know what he was doing."

Insiders at the City Chambers meanwhile believe that Wheeler is as out of his depth as his colleague Marilyne MacLaren is in her education brief (school closure debacle, scrapping of hot meals, a parent wrongly vilified for "leaking" information to the press to name just a few of her gaffes). One such insider was heard to say last week that "they (the Lib Dems] were running for cover. They didn't know what to say".

At least Willie Gallagher, chief executive of TIE, apologised for the mess. At least one former transport convener, Andrew Burns, admitted he was wrong over the ill-designed City Centre Traffic Management scheme. At least Phil Wheeler might not be long in his role.

For surely it is time for Jenny Dawe to get a proper grip on her group and put the right people into the right jobs. That's people who won't always leave her to clean up their mess, who won't embarrass her by their actions – or lack of them – and who will run the city properly.

It's time for Phil to be wheeled out – and not in front of the cameras. Come on Jenny, grasp the nettle, and heave.

Stand up and shout
LAST week I questioned the validity of the role of nursery teachers in council-run nursery classes given the current financial climate. For many local authorities, the idea of not having such individuals and instead having nurseries run solely by nursery nurses instead seems an easy option.

I had hoped it would make nursery teachers stand up and shout about just how vital their position is – reaffirming it to both their employers and parents alike.

it would appear, however, that nursery teachers, like nursery nurses, are unable to speak up for themselves . . . mostly through fear.

Indeed, Edinburgh's education director, Gillian Tee, has allegedly thrown down the decree that one word to the press and they're out. Whistleblowers are not welcome in Edinburgh's school system.

Thankfully though that doesn't affect the recently retired, and one such nursery teacher did get in touch and it seems there is a fightback going on.

Former nursery teachers, educational lecturers and authors are banding together to fight the creeping destruction of early learning in council nurseries – be it through the removal of nursery teachers or, in Edinburgh in particular, the changing of rules on which children can qualify for full-time nursery places in a bid to reduce numbers and then close stand-alone nursery schools. Which all sounds rather sneaky and underhand.

So more power to the nursery teachers' elbows – but they seriously need to start letting their voices be heard if they are going to have a future.