Leader of the political pack kicks off

but he will be glued to the televison.

As a youngster, Keith Geddes once played for a team called Gala

Wanderers -- taking part, he says with a smile, during its most

unsuccessful period. ''But I thoroughly enjoyed it. My father played for

Galashiels on occasion and I was named after a Keith Geddes who played

full back for Scotland at the end of the war. I think the family hoped I

would follow in his footsteps but it never happened.''

The game of rugby is woven deeply into the culture of the Borders

where he grew up.

''It helps to give the towns there a sense of identity and a profile

which places of that size perhaps would not have anywhere else. For

example, a town the size of Melrose has got a name that is

internationally known because of rugby.

''It has given a lot of the Borders young men a chance to travel far

and wide and be a great success.''

Geddes is the Queen's local councillor in Edinburgh, although he says

she hasn't approached him for any housing or planning advice as yet. The

job isn't by royal appointment -- which is just as well, as he is a

republican.

The royal connection comes about because Geddes represents the

Holyrood ward on Edinburgh's new single-tier city authority. It includes

the famous palace where Her Majesty resides when visiting the capital as

well as St Giles'.

Since 1990 this Borders-born 42-year-old has led the Labour

administration on Lothian Regional Council.

But royal constituents notwithstanding -- 1996 looks like being the

most important year so far in Geddes's political life. Not only will he

take over the reins of power in Edinburgh as Labour leader of the new

unitary council, but he is likely to be elected leader of the new

slimmed-down Convention of Scottish Local Authorities which he has been

helping to fashion as vice-president.

That political life got underway seriously when the youngster brought

up in Galashiels was a student at Edinburgh University and was enamoured

with what he saw as the radicalism of the Liberal Party!

''I took part in the 'Stop the Springboks Rugby Tour' protests. Our

local Liberal MP in the Borders, David Steel, was involved. I voted for

him at one General Election.'' But he adds with a grin: ''We all learn

from our past mistakes and I joined the Labour Party in 1976.''

Currently he is tackling the tough task of welding the new City of

Edinburgh Council's ruling Labour into a cohesive team. Stories

emanating from council corridors and coffee-rooms persistently suggest

that all is not sweetness and light between the ex-regional and

ex-district council members who make up the new 34-strong group which

will take power in the city in a year's time.

There was a distinct feeling in some quarters when the new shadow

council met for the first time that the big fish from the region had

simply gobbled up the smaller fry at the city chambers.

Not only is Geddes leader of the new administration, but regional

convener Eric Milligan will chair the council and almost certainly

become the next Lord Provost. Regional chief executive Tom Aitchison has

also won the job as the new council's chief official.

But Keith insists talk of region v district feuding has been

exaggerated. ''I think it will take a wee while for things to settle

down. But I have been pleasantly surprised that people have approached

things in a fresh manner and have not harked back to past allegiances.''

So what will be the priorities of the new Labour administration when

it takes full power for delivering council services in the capital next

April? First of all, during the transitional year, Geddes says they must

work to try to achieve a seamless transition so that the public do not

suffer a reduced level of service.

This will involve working in partnership with other councils in the

area to ensure that cross-boundary services such as concessionary fares

for the elderly can continue.

''After that our priority is to work towards making Edinburgh a truly

international capital city attracting investment from Europe, attracting

extra investment from the private and public sector to create jobs, and

to improve the quality of life in the city.''

The biggest and thorniest problem of all is likely to continue to be

Edinburgh's increasingly difficult traffic situation.

''There is no way we can solve these traffic problems without

investment from the private sector,'' says Geddes. ''Our first priority

there will be to create a dedicated link from the city centre to South

Gyle and the airport.''

The Labour administration, he adds, will also want to continue looking

at ways of reopening the south suburban railway line and creating

significant traffic-free areas in the city centre.

''We have no problem with bringing in the private sector as long as we

define the strategic priorities and take the political decisions.''

Geddes's own local government career began in 1982 when the former

housing rights' worker with Shelter (Scotland), who has a diploma in

youth and community work, was elected to the regional council.

He hasn't had an outside job for almost a decade now and says it helps

enormously that his wife Linda works full-time.

On his feet in the council chamber Geddes is a no-holds-barred

aggressive politician but offstage a pleasant informal manner puts him

socially at ease with opponents.

It is sometimes suggested by friend and foe alike that as a local

figure he has been a bit overshadowed thus far by his close regional

colleague, the high-profile, outspoken Eric Milligan.

The man with the moustache will certainly become much better known on

the national stage if he takes the Cosla presidency next year but

doesn't it irk him when it's suggested he's more of a stand-in than a

star?

Predictably he insists there is no rivalry. ''Eric is possibly the

most distinguished local government councillor in Scotland. He argues

the Labour Party's case better than most. I have just been delighted to

work with him for the past eight years in particular.

''The whole personal side of politics is something I am not greatly

concerned about.''

But he goes on to say they come from totally different backgrounds in

terms of Labour movement politics -- Milligan with a more Establishment,

trade union background and Keith coming in from ideological student

politics.

Politics in the US is one of his great interests and he makes an

unexpected reference to the Democratic Party Convention in Chicago in

1968 when police battled with students and political activists in the

streets.

''Maybe one difference between Eric and I is that while he would

probably have been inside the convention hall with Mayor Daley, I would

have been out in the streets with protesters like Tom Hayden.''