On the Wagon

As you might imagine the top story in this week's Berwickshire News which you can read here is about the Great Pipe Burst and the 5000 households without water for, in some cases, up to 10 hours. Does not quite rank with recent natural disasters in the Far East and other foreign parts or an average afternoon in Bangladesh but quite a little stirrer by local standards

Perhaps I am a bit unreasonable in finding this section from the article from our MSP, John Soundbite Photo Opportunity Lamont a trifle irritating:




The MSP for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, John Lamont, whose family were affected by the burst, is calling for those who were affected to be duly compensated.

Speaking to The Berwickshire News on Tuesday, he said: "This fault has been a major inconvenience to thousands of Berwickshire residents and I am pleased that the water supply has now been restored.

"I know the affected area well as it is next to my parents' farm and I have been contacted by a number of local residents who were concerned about the situation."

John added: "Scottish Water have a responsibility to maintain their system and I think they should consider whether compensation would be appropriate for people who have either sustained damage to their property or have been inconvenienced by this problem."

Am I alone in this? Is his pleasure to note that the water supply has been restored the faintest of hints that he might have been somehow responsible for this happy outcome? Or am I being a bit paranoiac? But I do find his call for compensation a bit crass-he is never far behind a potentially popular band wagon and likely to climb on a few more as the election approaches. I would doff my cap to him if he had the grace to congratulate Scottish Water on handling a major event with speed and efficiency. Burst at 7am-back on (for most people) at 4pm is a pretty impressive piece of work.

Off the band wagon and on to the water truck. Come on John, you can do it.

Scottish Water employees are voters as well

And if there is to be compensation for inconvenience, how much for a futile visit to the Coop in search of bottled water and not being able to turn our washing machine on for half a day? That's Third World for you

Labels: Berwickshire Pipe Burst, Great Burst of 09, John Lamont, Scottish Water

  ¶ 3:47 PM