The Edinburgh Reporter chats with Council Leader Andrew Burns

The Edinburgh Reporter recently interviewed Council Leader Andrew Burns, on the way to one of his weekly surgeries - here's what they had to say, and follow this link for the audio interview:

Councillor Andrew Burns represents Fountainbridge/Craiglockhart Ward and has done so since he was first elected to the council in 1999.

As Leader of the Labour/SNP coalition formed after this year’s local government elections, he seems to be enjoying the challenge of running our city, as Council Leader.

Here in this interview he talks about the impending live webcasting of council meetings, the proposed introduction of a petitions committee and the radical changes to the way that the council will work in future, including publishing a draft budget some two months ahead of it being debated.

He also explains his ideas about a cooperative council and how this will ‘put the consumer in the driving seat’.

The Reporter caught up with him by the Canal on 4 September where he broke his journey while cycling to attend his regular council surgery to have a chat. He is a keen cyclist, an allotment holder, and a big fan of living in Edinburgh as any visitors to his own blog will know.