I have been in Inverness the last 2 days at the Community Land Scotland conference, of which more later this weekend. For now, back to the scandal of Cllr Walsh’s undemocratic activities in concealing from the public and most councillors what is being discussed.
Michael Russell MSP has tabled the following questions in the Scottish Parliament. I will publish the replies when they appear.
S4W-25688 Michael Russell: To ask the Scottish Government what redress is available to a councillor who is refused access to papers regarding the local authority’s budget and the development of financial plans.
S4W-25689 Michael Russell: To ask the Scottish Government whether the power of general competence available to a local authority allows it to establish committees that (a) take no minutes, (b) do not permit their papers to be distributed to councillors who are not members of the committee, (c) forbid councillors who are not members of the committee to attend and (d) meet in private and exclude the public at all times.
S4W-25690 Michael Russell: To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the establishment of a local authority committee that (a) met in private and excluded the public at all times, (b) took no minutes, (c) refused councillors who are not members of the committee access to its papers, (d) refused councillors who are not members of the committee to attend and (e) gave no indication of the means by which its recommendations would be published or issued for final decision by the local authority would be consistent with best practice in local authorities in the development of budgets and financial plans.
Pleased to see the stage you’re now at. By the way, I presume you have adequate proof, documentary or otherwise, to support your case.
All the evidence is in the previous posts in this blog Iain.
Thank goodness for these points being raised with the Scottish Government. At long last the attitude and actions of both the leader and selected councillors of A&BC will be under scrutiny by others outside Argyll and Bute’s domain. It is incredible that the CEO of A&BC has managed to keep her head below the parapet for so long.
And where does the Corporate Governance Head stand in all this? We’re talking about careers on shoogly pegs if Parliament rules the Council’s actions amount to maladministration.
I have asked the council’s monitoring officer, Mr Hendry, and the CEO, Mrs Loudon, if they think consider their support of Cllr Walsh’s secret committee to be good governance. I will publish the reply once I get it.