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To: The City of Edinburgh Council

The People of Edinburgh don’t want Underbelly

We, the undersigned, demand The City of Edinburgh Council end all contracts with Underbelly, its subsidiaries, and partners. We further demand a judicial inquiry to establish the full extent of the council's associations with Underbelly, the extent of any uncovered criminality - and the removal of those involved, or otherwise assisting in legal circumvention of legislation and bylaws.

Why is this important?

In 2014 I began seeing commercialism pushing Edinburgh beyond capacity. That was the last year I enjoyed the Festival and Fringe. Since then the imperatives of capitalism – and the corporate vehicles it employs in ‘polluting the fabric of society’ - have done precisely what you’d expect.

It’s “Bigger than Ever”. It’s “More successful”. It’s, if you hadn’t guessed, “More profitable”.

Let’s make one thing clear, Edinburgh isn’t bigger.

What I saw back during the 2014 Festival and Fringe was evidence the city was being pushed beyond capacity. Evidence running down the street from overflowing sewers, past dozens of bags filled with discarded Stella Artois cans awaiting uplift from outside the backpackers’ hostel in Niddry Street. It was evidence the same colour as the original contents of those cans. And when it comes to ‘taking the piss’ in Edinburgh? One company’s name keeps coming up again, and again, and again.

Underbelly.

They’re supposed to be “Events Specialists”, but all people in Edinburgh see is a company the normal rules don’t apply to. They can ‘forget’ to apply for planning permission. They can decide when inconvenient traditions get in their way. They can decide who can come and go in the city centre. They can even charge people to jump in the sea on a public beach.

So they’re no more welcome than the urine I saw running down the street from overflowing sewers.

It’s understandable someone angry might start a petition calling for the council leader to resign. Events over the Festive season, and leading up to it, certainly look like the council is working for Underbelly. Not the other way round. However, Adam McVey became council leader back in 2017. Underbelly’s ‘bacterial blossoming’ was already well rooted in the city by then.

Face it, we don’t need to let our elected officials be used as ‘fleshy armour’ for corporate interests. It is Underbelly who have to go. So too do those in the council’s employ who buy into their corporate hellscape of a ‘vision’. It’s an infection, it’s beyond antibiotics. Surgery is required.

Edinburgh is a World Heritage Site. It isn’t a set for a bad reality TV spin-off of “They Live”; festooned with corporate advertising, desperate pleas to spend and spend, all topped off with a sprinkling of frothy public relations excrement.

Yes, what’s demanded herein is making an example of Underbelly. Given what they so clearly stand for, they have no place in Edinburgh’s discussion over a sustainable city economy. Regardless of their ability to command an opportunity to pooh-pooh people like me on Radio 4.

That’s why I’m starting this petition. That’s why what’s being demanded – not just politely asked for – is so precise. Get rid of them. Appoint an inquiry panel that is beyond reproach. Get rid of the people with too-close ties to Underbelly; do so with a commitment to ensure there are prosecutions where such is appropriate.

Please, reclaim the dignity of our city from the corporation currently treating it like a urinal.

Edinburgh

Maps © Stamen; Data © OSM and contributors, ODbL

Updates

2020-01-14 13:09:34 +0000

Over 3,000 signatures in a week. Good going! But, the Underbelly PR campaign accusing us of "constant anti-tourism messaging" continues - https://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/edinburgh-airport-boss-hits-back-factions-making-fabricated-criticisms-christmas-and-hogmanay-celebrations-1362091 - so we must be getting under their skin.

Please, share the petition as widely as you can. The Gardens are still a hideous mess, and Underbelly are already touting tickets for next year. Given the Climate Emergency I'd say Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, has a nerve wading into the debate and proudly announcing over a million passengers through the airport in December.

Unless he's hoping his chums from Underbelly can force the entire Edinburgh populace to sod off for December and let them rape the city to their heart's content.

2020-01-07 12:17:13 +0000

It's great to see this get rolling, and the supporting signatures moving into four digits. Edinburgh's population is approximately half a million. So we need to get that number up to five digits before this might get taken seriously. You can use tinyurl.com/underbelly-petition when sharing on twitter. I'd suggest #SackTheCow if you need a hashtag.

2020-01-06 16:35:07 +0000

1,000 signatures reached

2020-01-06 07:43:23 +0000

500 signatures reached

2020-01-05 16:36:48 +0000

100 signatures reached

2020-01-05 14:50:27 +0000

50 signatures reached

2020-01-05 13:13:26 +0000

25 signatures reached

2020-01-05 12:46:15 +0000

10 signatures reached