Council leader stands down

Kevin McRoberts • Published 18 Aug 2010 09:31 5 Comments

COUNCILLOR Janet Cadenhead is standing down as the leader of Clackmannanshire Council.

She informed her Labour colleagues of her decision last week, but agreed to stay on for three weeks to allow them time to choose her successor.

She will stay on as a councillor for Clackmannanshire South and will continue to play an active role as a member of the council's Labour administration.

In an exclusive interview with the Advertiser, Councillor Cadenhead said that she was standing down as she no longer had the energy to commit to the role.

And she had chosen to go now after the council was given an extremely positive report by the watchdog Audit Scotland.

According to the report the authority has "improved its performance year-on-year for the past five years, and records the highest average performance of any council in Scotland".

And it stated that the council had a strong financial strategy and clear and ambitious agenda for change.

Tough decisions

Councillor Cadenhead said, "It took a lot of tough decisions to get us to this stage, These decisions were often unpopular, but, in our view, they were necessary.

"If I am happy about anything, it would be that the decisions we made were taken without looking to see how it would affect our votes."

She continued, "I felt this was the right time for me to stand down. It got to the stage where I wasn't going to see out the five years. I was reassured by this report that the council was going in the right direction and felt it was the right time to let someone else take over."

Councillor Cadenhead was first elected to the council just over seven years ago. She was re-elected in May 2007 and took over as leader of the Labour group from Margaret Paterson.

With Labour going on to form the administration following the election, she took on the role of the leader of the council.

During her time in office, Clackmannanshire has seen significant changes.

Three new secondary schools have opened, Alloa town centre has undergone a transformation and transport links have been enhanced, with the re-opening of the railway and the opening of the Clackmannanshire Bridge.

However, an issue she admits has proved difficult and challenging has been Single Status.

She said, "If I have any regrets it is that the process became so politicised.

"When people are used to make party political points it is very damaging, and this process has been very damaging both to the council and the community as a whole.

She went on, "In every walk of life, what you get paid tends to be how people are valued. But single status is not about evaluating people, it's using a system to evaluate jobs.

"However, I fully accept and understand that doesn't make it any easier for our staff who have been affected by this.

"I regret there are people in the council who give everything they've got to their jobs who think because of this process their contribution is not valued or appreciated.

"This has been the most difficult time I have had in the council."

It will be up to Labour's councillors to decide who should be the new leader of their group - and the leader of the council.

Possible candidates could include Eddie Carrick, Sam Ovens and deputy leader Bobby McGill.

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Have your say. Post a comment on this article.

• 

  Jodie
  Unregistered User
  Aug 19, 14:25
  Report comment

  Mmmmm - and in the same week a Director of Service resigns in suspicious circumstances. Who reckons Councillor Cadenhead jumped before she was pushed?
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  qwerty
  Unregistered User
  Aug 19, 20:01
  Report comment

  She got the gym in Sauchie shut down, glad to see the back off her. She will not be missed.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  redhopi
  28 posts
  Aug 19, 22:01
  Report comment

  Glad to see the back of her.
  
  Why advertise the job? The new Finance Director, who seems to be able to do every other job, can easily slot in what Cadenhead did in her lunchtime, thus saving us having to pay for that salary. Her salary and perks will make a great saving in the finances of the council.
  
  What exactly did Cadenhead do in the council? Seems that she just made a lot of noise and did nothing, but was paid very well for doing nothing.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  qwerty
  Unregistered User
  Aug 20, 05:06
  Report comment

  Did anyone like this woman? LOL glad everybody else feel's this way.
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

• 

  Ball_bag_sa
  Unregistered User
  Sep 12, 10:50
  Report comment

  The only good decision she's ever made
  
  Recommend?   Yes 0     No 0

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