Eric Barry is the Labour candidate for Colinton/Fairemilehead Ward.I wanted to be a councillor to improve the quality of Council services and their value for money to the Council Tax Payer.
After school I worked in retail, the motor trade then after ten years in the Inland Revenue, I decided to risk becoming self-employed. I operate a taxi, a wedding car business and a small accountancy practice.
I spent ten years as a director of the taxi company mostly as treasurer, rebuilding the financial structure after the previous directors’ actions left the firm technically bankrupt. The key to this recovery was structural efficiency and high calibre management, and it is now the biggest in Edinburgh.
These experiences makes me only too aware that the Council needs a really good shake up in all aspects of management and delivery, performed by an in house team where ever possible but focused on delivering the best value possible across both the services we provide and the traffic management of our City. It can be done, but not easily.
The biggest challenge for the next council is the Tram fiasco. Since reading the business plan in 2007 and meeting with the people employed at tie, I have repeatedly voiced my serious concerns about the project. These concerns have proved to be prophetic and the seriousness of the miasma does now require an urgent public inquiry.”
