More misinformation from the counter petition in the past few days. We would rather not be wasting valuable time responding to this nonsense, but we said we would, so here goes.

Verbatim quotes, and our responses below:

"In our last few updates we have updated on our communications with officials. All these communications have stated cemetery matters are for the council to decide and the council have no plans for a review or change of cemetery rules in the near future. We feel this may in fact be our answer and that rules will remain as they are - what we want. Why haven't we declared a victory?"

Of course Edinburgh Cemetery Management Rules are for Edinburgh Council. If you bothered to read our updates properly, we are very clear on this. For the localised issue here in Edinburgh, it is an Edinburgh Council issue.

For wider, national changes (which we may move on to eventually) it is a Scottish Parliament issue. A bill would need to be introduced to parliament by the Scottish Government. A process then begins with the formulation of a policy by the government. A bill becomes law once it is agreed by the Scottish Parliament and the King...however, as clearly stated, that is a possible strategy for the future. We are laying the groundwork for that, with MSP and MP engagement.

Our focus right now is the elected officials in Edinburgh Council.

Declare victory?...after your petition (started on 31st January 2024) has been running for three weeks?...to "claim victory" on a decision that was taken by members of Edinburgh Council’s Culture & Communities Committee on 7th December 2023? (a full 54 days before your petition launched), a decision that you had absolutely zero input or effect on? Wow. Congrats.

We realise a campaign like this will take time. It involves engagement with elected officials, gathering information & statistics, building a strong argument for revisiting the current Cemetery Management Rules, gauging the public opinion and more.

We are in this for the long run folks...longer than three weeks, and we are nowhere near "victory" (although we do seem to be gathering a lot of support).

"For some reason the other petition is still going and stating they are exploring other avenues and talking as if they have their rule change "in the bag"."

Of course we are still going. We have only been going for three weeks.

Of course we are exploring every avenue open to us to garner public support, engage with elected officials, raise our profile, collect statistics, build a case etc

Name one example where we are talking "as if they have their rule change "in the bag"."...just one example? (stick around in this post Readers...major irony incoming)

We are nowhere near "having it in the bag", hence our commitment to the long haul. We will present our case through hard work, engagement with elected officials, mustering public support and building a case.

"Pretty sure we have what we want in the bag (to keep current rules) but let's keep sharing and signing in case the other petition somehow manages to get governance of cemetries (sic) changed (highly unlikely as these are devolved powers and might lead to a whole governance system requiring restructuring) or they somehow get the council to change their mind (again highly unlikely, in our opinion). We don't want to count our chiclens (sic) till they're fully hatched."

One day after accusing us of talking "as if they have their rule change "in the bag" (let's see if they provide the one example of this requested) , the counter petition tells us they are "pretty sure we have what we want in the bag".

After three full weeks of "campaigning". Claiming victory for a decision they had nothing to do with, that was taken 54 days before they even launched their petition.  Oh the irony.

"The council have clearly stated they reviewed the rules two months ago and will NOT be reviewing or changing them in the near future."

The counter petition loves referring to this meeting on 7th December 2023.  That meeting is now very nearly three months ago. 

We have never expected or stated that Edinburgh Council would be "reviewing or changing them in the "near future". That would be ridiculous.

Cambridge Dictionary: "near future" - "at a time that is not far away"
Collins Dictionary: "near future" - "it will happen quite soon"

"Although from what we have been told it is highly unlikely they will get a rule change""

Really? Care to name the Councillor who told you that? We have no issue naming and quoting Councillors who support us. See our Weekly Update 2 re Councillor Mandy Watt, Labour Councillor for Morningside and Deputy Council Leader http://tinyurl.com/54wxmww4

"Is it really fair to change rules to cemetries (sic) over Scotland based on 4 cemetries (sic) in Edinburgh?"

Again, this is referring to Edinburgh Council’s Culture & Communities Committee meeting on 7th December 2023, where it was stated:

"Since the implementation of the revised rules, the council has received 10 complaints about breaches of the rules, all of which referred to dogs which were off-lead in cemeteries. The complaints were made by four individuals and one further anonymous complaint. The complaints refer to just four of the 43 cemeteries operated by the service."

We covered this in our update post last week "If It Ain’t Written Down…It Didn't Happen" http://tinyurl.com/4p7zdnn4

Does anyone honestly believe that there were only 10 cases of "dogs off lead" in all 43 Edinburgh cemeteries over a twelve month period?

Of course not. Paul has counted 10 dogs off lead in one day in Morningside Cemetery.