Given that the last theatre performance I attended featured a fairy godmother, a choc-ice at half time and community singing at the end, I hesitate to offer any comment on the cultural pinnacle that is Edinburgh’s Festival season.

As very much the outsider looking in, though, what I can say is that it seems there’s also drama off-stage, with the “Glasgow versus Edinburgh” row blowing up over the comparative responses to the major fires on Union and Princes Streets.

There have been claims of favouritism for Glasgow (with a £10m fire recovery fund) over Edinburgh (with a £5m fund). Equally, there have been counter-claims defending the Scottish Government response.

Is there a 'Glasgow bias' over the Princes Street fire?

Of course, major incidents like these – and others such as the Glasgow School of Art fires and the extent to which the building can be restored – cause tremors throughout their communities. The disruption can be significant, and for a small business it can mean tens of thousands of pounds wiped from their takings overnight, through no fault of their own.

In such circumstances, decisive government action can save otherwise healthy businesses, protecting valued local jobs and services. That said, amid........

© Herald Scotland