Council officials refuse to name private donor for city banquet

Opposition councillors have expressed concern at Edinburgh City Council's refusal to reveal the identity of an anonymous donor who has agreed to underwrite the cost of the city's first Lord Provost's banquet, due to take place on April 15 2009.

Labour councillors voiced worries that the mysterious benefactor may have ties to projects put before council, and could benefit financially through future planning decisions and other council determinations.

Angela Blacklock, Labour councillor for the Leith Walk ward told The Journal: "My concern is that the benefactor may be someone who deals with the council in some other way, either now or in the future."

Despite requests made under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, council secretary John Sturt refuses to identify the anonymous donor.

Mr Sturt claimed that revealing the information would amount to a breach of confidence.

The Lord Provost's banquet, announced at the end of October last year, has been promoted as a showcase event for Scotland's leading politicians and businesspeople.

The council hopes that the banquet will help to raise thousands of pounds for good causes in Edinburgh.

However, concerns were raised from the outset at the cost of hosting the event—estimated to run to at least £30,000—in the current financial climate.

Since then, the council's refusal to name their mysterious benefactor has irked opposition councillors who have expressed ethical concerns over the anonymous private funding.

Ms Blacklock told The Journal: "If this person benefits financially through preferential treatment at some stage, how do we know, as councillors, that we are adhering to the standards expected of us?"

However, the decision to keep the donor's identity secret was defended by Liberal Democrat councillor Louise Lang.

Ms Lang told The Journal: "I don't believe it's unusual for any individual to wish to remain anonymous when giving a donation.

"Some people prefer to avoid publicity and we see it all the time with philanthropic giving. In this case I believe the benefactor specifically requested to remain anonymous and it would be in breach of data protection rules to give this information out."

Ms Lang added: "Personally, I think their generosity is helping raise much needed money for charity and the least we can do is respect their privacy."

Council leaders have also refuted any allegations of wrongdoing. Lord Provost George Grubb has emphasised that the secret donor has no political or commercial links with the council.

Other councillors, including Leader of the City Jenny Dawe, expressed hope that the Lord Provost's banquet would go on to become a prestigious annual event in the vein of similar functions in other British cities.

The proposed new event has been closely modeled on London's annual Lord Mayor's Banquet.

The Banquet traditionally attracts high-profile guests including the Prime Minister, who has used the occasion to make keynote political speeches in front of a nonpartisan audience.

Gordon Brown was joined at London's Guildhall in November 2008 by other speakers including the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams and the Secretary of State for Justice and Lord Chancellor Jack Straw.

The controversy over the Lord Provost's banquet comes just weeks after union representatives at Midlothian Council refused to attend the Lord Provost's annual winter reception in December.

The representatives argued that any festive celebration was inappropriate in the current financial climate, particularly after the council warned citizens to expecting spending cutbacks at the end of October.