Unless the Scottish Government changes its attitude to investment in Edinburgh’s economy and infrastructure, plans to extend the city’s tram network will remain pipe dreams, writes Herald columnist John McLellan

The editor of these pages got in touch to ask if I could write about Edinburgh trams as part of this week’s Herald’s series. “Ain’t gonna happen,” I replied. “Do you need any more?”

About 997 words more, not easy if the aim is to shed new light on a subject to which I’ve probably devoted more columns than any other, whether as a newspaper editor, commentator or councillor since its inception over 20 years ago.

There’s not an argument I’ve not heard, and while accepting some and rejecting others, what hasn’t changed is the numbers growing to the point where supporters can trill off hundreds of millions as if it’s the weekly shopping bill, without much thought about who really foots the bill. “Oh, public transport always needs a subsidy”, goes the blithe dismissal of concern that taxpayers shouldn’t just be expected to cough up.

Like the notorious MUDFA (Multi-utility Diversion Framework Agreement) process in the disastrous first tram construction phase, The Herald series has dug deep into the issues, commendably so, but no amount of analysis can get beyond the basic impasse that more trams will cost billions the Scottish........

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