Have any of you read George Orwell's 1984? Where Newspeak is used? When words have opposite meanings and politicians say one thing but mean the other? Well it seems that when it comes to Caltongate we live in an Orwellian nightmare. Jim "laugh a minute"Lowrie, the Planning Convenor of the Edinburgh Council Planning Committee said in October 2008 " We have to get big developments like Caltongate up and running as soon as we can." but after someone complained that he wasn't impartial (it is part of the councillor's code of conduct not to comment on Planning issues if on the Planning Committee) - the Standards Commission for Scotland said "Merely holding a view in favour of development of a particular site does not explicitly, or by implication, mean that an individual councillor has reached a particular view."
Eh? And he then went on to vote for Caltongate in its entirety at the Planning Committee. So Jim Lowrie said something, that was obviously what he meant but a QUANGO gives it a different interpretation from its original meaning in order that he hasn't breached the Code of Conduct? It's Orwellian Newspeak nonsense.
You can read the hair splitting excuses from the Standards Commission here
CITY planning leader Jim Lowrie has been cleared of any wrongdoing regarding comments he made on the controversial £300 million Caltongate plans.
The Lib Dem councillor was reported to the Standards Commission for Scotland following an Evening News article last October, when he said: "We have to get big developments like Caltongate up and running as soon as we can."The complainant, thought to be a protester fighting the scheme, argued that Cllr Lowrie should not have commented before the planning application was heard by the council.
The scheme has since received the go-ahead.
As part of the Standards Commission investigation, Cllr Lowrie confirmed that the comments made in the Evening News were accurate, but chief investigating officer Stuart Allan said: "Merely holding a view in favour of development of a particular site does not explicitly, or by implication, mean that an individual councillor has reached a particular view."
