SNP bid to oust Labour council
Hamish Hutchinson • Published 22 Dec 2011 08:00
3 Comments
THE New Year could bring a new Clackmannanshire Council.
A special meeting will be held on 6 January to discuss a "no confidence" motion lodged by the SNP group.
SNP leader Gary Womersley (pictured above) dropped the bombshell at the end of last Wednesday's meeting on child care services.
Councillor Womersley said "enough is enough" after a "long list of failings" by the Labour's minority administration.
He said, "This council needs good governance, good financial stewardship and a more transparent, accountable way of how it seeks to run the council.
"All of this, together with a long-term strategic vision and ambition for Clackmannanshire is obviously not capable of being delivered by the current administration and therefore I have no qualms about seeking to remove them."
It came on the same day that the Advertiser exclusively revealed the decision by councillor Eddie Carrick to leave the Labour party.
Mr Carrick, who will remain sitting as an independent councillor, quit after he was challenged in his seat to stand at next year's elections and failed to make the cut. It means Labour now have seven out of 18 councillors, the same as the SNP.
And interestingly Mr Womersley's motion seeks to remove councillors from all senior posts not held by the Nationalists, bar the sustainability portfolio which is continued to be held by Mr Carrick.
Current council leader Rev Sam Ovens said he was "not surprised" by the SNP's power-grab.
He said, "I'm not surprised at all. It follows on from a meeting the week previous reporting on an external audit to all councillors.
"There was a clear indication to us that the financial situation in the council is one of the best in Scotland. There's no doubt in my mind this has come as our finances are a lot stronger than last April."
Rev Ovens added, "Eddie has done a good job for us. He has fallen out with the party but not anyone in the group. I feel there is an element of opportunism by the SNP. I'm not in the process of canvassing votes but I am angry."
SNP depute group leader, councillor Mark English indicated that it was Labour's poor handling of the local authority's finances that was one reason for the "no confidence" motion.
He said, "We have had through councillors [Janet] Cadenhead and [depute leader Bobby] McGill presiding over the huge £10 million black hole in council finances, a further £9.5 million of debt written off, the complete quagmire that saw Labour decimating facilities in Tillicoultry and Alva, not least the pool. No one knows what the Labour portfolio holders do, as they don't report back or account to anyone. Indeed, there are fundamental governance and cultural failings which have been the hallmark of the Labour administration to date."
In contrast Rev Ovens cited the building of three new secondary schools, Forth Valley College, the Clackmannanshire Bridge, Alloa Train Station, and improvements to the town centre as part of Labour's record in charge.
He added, "We set a budget last year for the long term future of the council. In that we rationalised buildings to enhance services. We have taken some very hard decision but have taken them in the best interests of the council and electorate.
"I don't have any qualms about our record but this is not about our record, it is about division. I am quite happy to fight on our record. People forget about the situation we inherited and what the council has done over the last eight years."
Under council rules special meetings must be held within 10 working days of a motion lodged. However the meeting will be held on Friday 6 January and Mr Womersley questioned its legality.
He said, "I am disappointed that the special meeting is not being convened before Christmas.
"As well as being a lawyer in my own right, I have taken external counsel on the position and maintain that the meeting should have been held either before Christmas or in between Christmas and New Year at the very latest."
This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 21 Dec 11
Have your say. Post a comment on this article.
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w_macallum
Unregistered User
Dec 24, 11:50
Report commentWell who would have guessed? With Eddie Carrick being unceremoniously dumped by his party, the opposition now have a golden opportunity to sieze power. Hopefully Eddie will back this move along with the John Biggam & Craig Holden to rid the county of what has proven to be an administration with no scruples when it comes to staffing or policy.
One would of course expect the only 'tory' Alistair Campbell, to vote with his labour colleagues, like he always does!
If people need reminding of just how mal-administered things have become at the Council, they need look no further than the pages of this paper and the debacle about how they tried to bury their failings in Child Protection. Additionally, if people cast their minds back a couple of years and see local businessmen being handed Council owned properties for "peppercorn" rents, people will realise that change is not only inevitable, its damned well long overdue.
Recommend?
Yes 5
No 5
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george
Unregistered User
Dec 27, 15:44
Report commentit was opportunism which lost mr carrick his seat so cant see why
labour can complain about the snp using this
Recommend? Yes 5
No 5
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Warren peace
Unregistered User
Jan 3, 15:17
Report commentCoucil is shambolic, bring back Councilliors who care for the community they were voted to represent, start by getting all our streets cleaned and then clean the rot that has set in within the many office walls within the Authority.
Recommend? Yes 2
No 4
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