How not to run a referendum...

Just when you thought that Edinburgh Council's plans to run a referendum on congestion charging couldn't get any more farcical, it emerges that 57,000 of us won't get a ballot because we asked for our details [i.e. name and address] not to be sold by the Electoral Register.

This cuts down on junk mail, but apparently the council's ballot is classed as junk mail, so we won't be getting ballots unless we happen to either notice the council's advertising campaign on the subject, get flyers in the mail, or notice the relevant ad in the Council's free newsletter [which has yet to be delivered].

If you want to get a ballot you have to phone the Council's hotline - telephone number not printed by the Scotsman [thank you yer much...] but it's 0131 529 4877. According to them, half the flats in my building aren't on their mailing list.