Perth and Kinross Council Conservatives fail to replace independent with Tory

Oct 2 2009 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

THE Conservative group on Perth and Kinross Council was left red-faced after a failed bid to oust an independent councillor from a key committee and replace him with one of their members.

An item on this week’s Council agenda was a request to replace independent member Councillor Alan Jack with the Tories’ Councillor Barbara Vaughan on the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee.

Long-serving Councillor Jack, who represents the Almond and Earn ward, opted to leave the Conservative group in July to become an Independent on Perth and Kinross Council.

Upon his departure from the Conservative group he commented: “I will be more effective [as an Independent] for all of those I represent.

“This move will allow me to develop the transparency which I respect both within the ward and the council which are ultimately part of the community.”

There appeared little transparency in the manner of his attempted removal by the Conservatives from the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee – and also the Perth and Kinross Leisure Executive Committee, on which the Tories sought to replace him with Councillor Kathleen Baird.

During debate it transpired the Conservatives had consulted neither Councillor Jack nor others on the opposition benches, prompting calls of “invalid”, “childish” and “lack of respect”.

An angry Councillor Jack called for the Tories’ proposal to be withdrawn: “I cannot see the reason behind this.

“I feel after 10 years’ experience this shows lack of respect and would be detrimental to the Council.”

In seconding Councillor Jack, Councillor John Flynn said: “I find this childish. I presume it is because Alan Jack is no longer a member of the Conservative group. That does not deter from his ability to be an effective member of the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee. I feel the committee would lose something if he was removed.”

Councillor Flynn called councillors to vote “on this point of principle, fairness and natural justice”.

Leader of the Labour group, Archie MacLellan, also spoke in support of Councillor Jack, and stressed that the Conservatives had held no consultation or discussion with other opposition members on the matter.

“It seems Councillor Jack is being removed for no reason other than he is no longer a Conservative.”

“Councillor Vaughan would be taking on this post not as a representative of the opposition but as a member of a discredited Conservative group.”

A recess in the Council meeting, proposed by administration leader Councillor Ian Miller so discussion could take place between opposition members, failed to yield any progress, so he proposed that the status quo be applied.

A vote showed 23 members of the Council were in favour of Alan Jack retaining his place on the Enterprise and Infrastructure Committee, while the 11 members Conservative members on the Council supported Councillor Alexander Stewart’s call for Barbara Vaughan to replace Councillor Jack.

It was agreed the status quo should also apply to the Perth and Kinross Leisure Executive Committee.