You’re kidding, Mark Flynn.
Your response to the Cairdy golf disaster is to suggest a private outfit runs it.
“If anyone is interested in doing something with the council and working with Caird Park to see what can be done in the future, my door is always open,” said the Dundee City Council council leader.
Really? Have you turned into a free-market Tory?
It wouldn’t be a municipal golf course if it was run by an outside firm, would it?
The whole point of the protest over this is that a city should have a municipal course because it’s a public service, not a commercial concern.
The SNP government at Holyrood halted council house sales for this precise reason.
You’ll need to get in touch to tell them they’re wrong, Mark.
You’re also ignoring the fact Dundee City Council could ditch the plan to shine lights on the Caird Hall – instantly saving £200,000 to keep golf at Caird Park going.
There won’t be a 3,000-name petition protesting about that.
If Mark didn’t realise the strength of opinion in the town, then he does now.
That petition has become a de facto vote of dissatisfaction with the way the authority is operating.
What about Caird Park consultation?
Mark, your problem is that Dundee folk can smell a pile of bull from a mile away.
They know your twinkly lights are merely a “nice to have” – but a municipal golf course allows older people to exercise.
This “go private” response was nearly as bad as last week’s effort, in which you appeared to claim you didn’t know anyone even liked Cairdy golf because no one sent you an email about it.
Mark said: “No one approached me at all about Caird Park. I was approached for Mills Observatory and I was approached for Broughty Caste.”
Had you forgotten about the consultation?
I’ll remind you of the outcome: locals overwhelmingly wanted Cairdy kept.
It’s an unusual comms strategy you’ve gone for.
Having annoyed people with bad decisions, you’ve embarked upon making statements that annoy them even more.
But at least Mark managed a response.
‘Hypocrisy’
A major sporting facility in the city is to close and the city’s sports convener hasn’t said a thing.
Indeed, incredibly, she voted to close it.
Councillor Lynne Short, can you explain that please?
It’s your job to speak for your department.
That’s how cabinet politics works – each convener fights for their area of responsibility.
It should be you demanding sport for health instead of wee lights the town has never had and therefore won’t miss.
Then, almost unbelievably, in Tuesday’s Evening Telegraph, there was a report about sportscotland awards for Dundee schools.
Lynne said: “It’s so important for children to have a positive relationship with sport.”
Yet you cast your vote to deny young people a relationship with the sport of golf in Dundee.
And to quote you from May 5: “The Lord Provost joined me in my role as sports spokesperson to meet some incredible people showing the power of sport and how it literally changes lives.”
So does the power of sport no longer change lives?
To say one thing but vote for the opposite is naked hypocrisy.
Do your job and speak up for Cairdy, Lynne. I’ll remind you every week until you do.
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