Council leaders clash in 'cat fight'

Published 16 Jun 2010 13:10 1 Comment

CLACKMANNANSHIRE Council's Labour administration leader Janet Cadenhead says former SNP Group leader Donald Balsillie has escaped a thankless task by standing down.

Councillor Balsillie, who took over the leadership of the local SNP following Keith Brown election as Ochil MSP in 2007, stood down at the group's AGM earlier this month.

And the Labour leader says he is well out of it, comparing the SNP councillors to a "herd of cats" who failed to give their leader their full support.

Councillor Cadenhead told the Advertiser, "I congratulate Donald on having escaped the thankless task of attempting to lead the SNP Group on Clackmannanshire Council. Trying to control a 'herd of cats' was how one on-looker described it to me.

"SNP policy in any area always depended on who you were speaking to, Donald could not count on his group support in council and until recently they refused to let him meet with the administration leadership for fear it would damage their political purity.

"I don't know if Donald jumped or was pushed, but any team leader who cannot depend on the support and collective responsibility of their colleagues is well out of it."

However, the SNP's newly-appointed group leader, Councillor Gary Womersley, hit back, saying, "Perhaps if the council leader and administration spent as much time doing what they were elected to do, rather than speculate erroneously on the SNP Group matters, then the council wouldn't have a £9 million black hole in its finances, Single Status wouldn't have eroded the goodwill of council staff and Labour could have consulted on the Claremont/St.John's school proposals in a legally competent manner.

"Perhaps if the council leader was to spend as much time chasing up the Labour portfolio holders with responsibility for finance and education - Councillors Bobby McGill and George Matchett - she wouldn't need to try and divert attention from the administration's failings by seeking to put up smokescreens all around them."

And Councillor Balsillie laughed off the Labour leader's comments, telling the Advertiser, "Given the low morale in the council, as a result of single status and the handling of procurement issues, as well as the illegal consultation on the primary school proposal, I would have thought Councillor Cadenhead would have more to concern her than the restructuring of the SNP Group.

"I am sure Janet is just reflecting on her own experiences in trying to control her clutter of cats!"

Councillor Balsillie said that he "neither jumped nor was pushed" but deliberately decided to step aside to allow younger members of the SNP group to experience the senior roles.

He added, "I have always had the support of my group as I have led them into working groups with the Labour administration - and then had to lead them back out again."

He said the SNP quit the education working group when Labour refused to consult on alternatives to the option of a single new primary school to replace St John's and Claremont .And they walked out on the leisure working group when Labour refused a suggestion that the council should consult all community and leisure groups on their existing and future needs.

He also accused the Labour administration of failing to provide the necessary budget information requested by the SNP, meaning they could not debate or produce an alternative budget.

Councillor Balsillie said, "Janet continually pedals the lie that the SNP have not worked with Labour for the good of Clackmannanshire. We have certainly tried!"

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  Bill
  Unregistered User
  Jun 28, 18:27
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  Hopefully the new SNP leadership will now tackle the labour administration more effectively. What a bloody shambles the Councils in!
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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