Opinion is split on whether a day off is needed for Scotland’s first World Cup game.

There is the sensible approach that argues a financially reckless holiday is a bad idea.

On the other side is Dundee’s SNP group of councillors, and some rather odd reasoning.

There is a third way, as I shall explain later.

Let’s look at the situation.

If the Scotland v Haiti game kick-off was 2am on the Monday, not Sunday, there might be justification for a day off.

But it isn’t. Anyone who wants to catch up on sleep will do it on the Sunday.

Is £1.2m World Cup bank holiday cost the best thing for Dundee?

This holiday, it is estimated, will cost the city £1.2 million.

Looked at soberly, is this really the best thing for the city?

If it is, what are the costed-out justifications for that? What corporeal benefits does this give the city? What alternatives were considered?

But reasonable questions like that haven’t resulted in a reasoned response.

All the city got was an odd assertion from Councillor Lynne Short that we have had other bank holidays, we all love football, and this was “a hill she will die on”.

That’s not a reasoned argument. That isn’t a logical, responsible approach.

Good leadership requires good decisions, preferably decisions that come with a cost v benefits analysis – not a gut reaction that is the equivalent of waving a Saltire flag and shouting “Scooootland”, as if that was a complete answer.

This is a good approach if seated on Hampden’s slopes, not much use in the council chambers.

I wonder if there is debate on this behind closed doors in Dundee’s SNP group.

If the city is to have confidence in the way it is led, we need reasoned responses when difficult or contentious issues arise.

We need to know that important matters are given serious consideration; that due diligence has been done to explore all alternatives.

We need better governance than this.

If you insist on granting this bank holiday, cancel another one

I think there is a way out of the current situation that would allow our council to save face and perhaps even repair its reputation after the “die on a hill” nonsense.

Councillors, if you insist on granting this bank holiday, cancel another bank holiday so that, in the long run, the number of days off – and therefore the cost to the city – is evened out.

You might have to approach Holyrood to discuss the finer points, and perhaps have to get over a few legalities.

But even proposing this would show you can devise cost-balanced, innovative solutions to complex problems that don’t involve expiration on hillsides.

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