By Donald Anderson
That’s a technical phrase, but what it means is that the value of goods and services generated by each Edinburgh resident is now higher in Edinburgh than London. That’s not just a remarkable achievement, it’s little short of miraculous. London is one of the best and biggest cities in the world. It’s been an economic powerhouse in the UK over generations and for Edinburgh to overtake London is stunning. Unfortunately Edinburgh’s success is seldom celebrated. Even in the City Chambers where politicians of all parties could take credit for the public policy success that Edinburgh is, there’s always more likely to be a row and criticism. Politics, alas, doesn’t celebrate success. The constant juggling for position and fighting elections leaves little space for reflecting on what works and why. 40 years ago – not a long time in the city’s history – Edinburgh wasn’t a success. It was a dull provincial city, famous for its gap sites. It came alive for the Festival and little else. Edinburgh only had two international flights – Amsterdam and Dublin. City residents had to escape on holiday via Newcastle or Glasgow. Edinburgh now carries more passengers than Newcastle and Glasgow combined. Edinburgh has become a year-round tourism destination on a par with any in Europe, and that extra income and jobs played a key role in Edinburgh’s success. Indeed, when some of the most expensive city office space came on the market recently, it was occupied not by a bank or a legal firm, but by a tourism business. Rabbie’s is one of the tourism successes that are helping drive up incomes and those GDP figures. The Hawksmoor Restaurant just over the road from my office was in the news a few years back for offering table staff jobs at £32,000 a year. Contrary to popular belief tourism jobs are real jobs and jobs that make good career choices for increasing numbers of residents. That Edinburgh residents live longer, healthier and wealthier lives than ever before is a cause for celebration. Does that mean we can just sit back with out feet on the table? Well, no. As the spate of recent drug deaths in the city centre shows, even Edinburgh faces challenges ensuring that everyone can share in the amazing quality of life that the city has to offer. Edinburgh is a public policy success. It’s the engine helping drive growth and prosperity in and across Scotland. Just don’t expect that to be understood, let alone acknowledged or often supported – the new supercomputer is a welcome and rare exception. Edinburgh residents should take great pride in what’s been achieved. The efforts of ordinary residents working in the council, banks and finance companies, academics and all those who have built year round tourism in a city more than a little off the beaten trail has made Edinburgh successful. History was made this week. Edinburgh isn’t just the best city in Britain, now it’s the most successful one (pound for pound) as well. And that success was made in Edinburgh. Donald Anderson is Director of Playfair Scotland