Kaylah Walton
Robert Aldridge, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, experienced an awkward moment after spending £1,000 ($1,250) on a personalized gift for Taylor Swift, only to receive no acknowledgment from the singer or her team.
This extravagant gift included custom tartan guitar straps and a gourmet hamper, aimed at arranging a meeting or a photo opportunity with Swift during her sold-out summer concerts in Scotland.
In a disappointing turn of events, council staff simply dropped off the gift at the venue’s gates without any acknowledgment from Swift.
Unnoticed Gesture
The customized tartan guitar straps, which cost £500 each, were part of a hamper valued at £1,200. This hamper also contained local products like Edinburgh Gin, Lind & Lime Gin, and various whiskies.
Lord Provost Aldridge had intended for Swift to wear one of these straps during her performance at Murrayfield Stadium and sign the other for charity. However, she preferred her customary plain black strap and did not recognize the gift.
Despite the lack of response, Edinburgh City Council still plans to auction the unsigned guitar strap for charity, with the total expenditure categorized under the council’s marketing budget.
Public Reaction
The efforts of the Provost, uncovered through Freedom of Information requests, have drawn ire from citizens and local politicians.
Independent Councillor Ross McKenzie joked, “The Provost may have been ghosted by Taylor Swift, but many in my constituency would be happy to discuss issues like poor housing conditions and insufficient care packages.”
This incident occurs during a challenging time for the Edinburgh City Council, which has just 10 of 63 seats held by Labour. The council leader, Cammy Day, recently stepped down amid controversy over inappropriate messages sent to Ukrainian refugees.
Critics have expressed that funds spent on wooing Swift could have been better used to tackle urgent community problems.
Issues with Celebrity Attention
A source familiar with Swift’s summer shows mentioned her team may have declined the gift to prevent other cities from feeling compelled to send similar offerings.
Earlier, Aldridge also reached out to the event organizers at Murrayfield, asking for a civic reception for Swift at the City Chambers, but that request went unanswered too.
The unused custom tartan guitar straps serve as a reminder of the disconnect between city officials and the community, prompting taxpayers to reconsider the priorities of Edinburgh’s governance.
Taylor Swift may have sung about “Love Stories,” but this situation certainly did not culminate in a happy ending for Lord Provost.
