Monday March 9th 2026
Miles Briggs MSP
Miles Briggs MSP writes his monthly column for Midlothian View.
Readers may now be aware of an issue brewing across Lothian: the potential for a congestion charge in Edinburgh. When I began raising my concerns in January, few had heard that SNP and Labour councillors in the capital had even voted on this matter back in May. Two months later, there is growing anxiety both on doorsteps and social media as people catch wind of a scheme that could raise their yearly bills by thousands.
But why hadn’t Midlothian drivers heard about a congestion charge which would push their cost of living up even higher? Perhaps this is because the last time the council floated this idea in 2005, the people of Edinburgh rejected it overwhelmingly. With a healthy turnout, 74% voted against the proposal. Something tells me that they’d do so again.
In last month’s column I explained that London’s congestion charge had not led to less time in traffic for drivers. In fact, in 2024 the city’s commuters spent a record average of 101 hours in jams. Despite the failure of the scheme, the daily cost of entering London has soared since the congestion charge was introduced. With an original cost of £5 in 2003, the charge has increased by an eye watering 260% to £18 per day.
Let’s put our thinking caps on for a moment. Adjusted for inflation, the proposed daily charge in Edinburgh from 2005 is roughly £3.90. Many readers of this paper will drive to Edinburgh most weekdays be it for work, school runs, or shopping. Assuming a working year of 250 days, a congestion charge could cost you nearly £1000 in the first year. If the cost here spiralled the way it has in London, it would soon rise to more than £3,000.
On Thursday, I asked the First Minister if he thought it was fair for drivers in Midlothian to shoulder this cash grab for Edinburgh Council at a time when life is getting increasingly expensive. His answer, or lack of one, was very telling. The one judgement John Swinney was willing to make, however, was that the only referendum people wanted was one on Scottish Independence! If you weren’t yet clear about the SNP’s priorities for our region, there you go.
Since my campaign on this began, several key stakeholders have come forward to comment on the situation. The Taxpayers’ Alliance, the Alliance of British Drivers, several councillors in Lothian, and Glasgow Chamber of Commerce have all expressed opposition to congestion charging. Interestingly, so have Labour councillors and MSPs in Glasgow. So far, no one has been able to explain to me why Labour supports a charge in one city but opposes it in another when the two councils are proposed to collaborate on the framework for this tax.
That’s why I have launched a campaign against the congestion charge and am asking for your support to call for a referendum and stop this cash grab once and for all.
Sign up to my campaign here: Stop the Edinburgh Congestion Charge | Edinburgh
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