Statement by Councillor Philip McLean
The SNP Group warmly welcomes the result from last night’s full council meeting. Despite the determined efforts to prevent it, the public will now be able to see the full criteria on which decisions on key road safety measures are made.
At the Audit and Scrutiny Committee meeting the previous day, SNP Group leader Donald Manford had requested a report on School Transport to detail how “safe walking routes” were assessed. The criteria was unclear especially for parents who were appealing the Home to School Transport policy.
Chairman of the Audit and Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Angus McCormack, quickly closed down the discussion which led to the SNP Group leader to question why vital information should not be provided to the public.
Cllr Manford said: “For the scrutiny committee to be denied the ability to scrutinise by its own chair is highly questionable constitutionally and risks bringing the entire organisation into disrepute.” The full council agreed with Cllr Manford and conceded that all details should now be provided.
Manford and McLean showboating again! Manford was Transportation Chief for 10 years and he did not know how key decisions on road safety issues were taken by his own Department! Either he is exceptionally thick or he is indulging, once again, in his favourite pastime No word on the Mallaig – Lochboisdale ferry, or our own pathetic pre war service.
First they are trying to keep the schools open, now they are trying to get free school travel back to the kids, next they will be shouting that the Comhairles budget is unfair to the elderly, bunch of troublemakers that SNP bunch.
Antonio, have you had your Subsidy Junkied, or did you fall off the only flyover, where is their budget? I’m afraid the SNP showboat is heading for the SAC rocks……
What a pity that everything has to be a political tit for tat between the labour and SNP contingent. If the SNP say it, it must be wrong. If labour say it, it must be wrong. Why don’t you all grow up and let the achievement speak for itself. Information that the committee did not want us to have, information that may be endangering our children, has now been made available. Who cares if the bad labour man didn’t want to tell us and the bad SNP man made him.
Leaving SNP -V- Labour politics aside, surely to goodness there is something far wrong if the Chairman of any Committee or indeed any member of the Comhairle tries to supress the release of information to the electorate whom they claim to serve. So much so for “Freedom of Information” Eh? Frankly I am surprised at Cllr McCormack. Is there anyone on the council worthy of the handle “councillor”?………………begining to doub itt and the new lot are already being dumbed into the corner.
you can always rely on Labour to play politics with people’s lives
Sorry, Gadaha – let me substitute rather ….’the new lot are already being exposed to the realities of power broking’.
It is a fact that Manford was Chief of the Transportation Committee, ( until last May ) which agreed the proceedure for road safety assessment, gritting policy and school transport policy. No amount of spinning now will alter that fact, he should be ashamed of himself and his 10 years of imposing disasterous policies on transportation in the Islands.
Yes, the approach reflects badly on both MacCormick (Lab) and Manford (SNP). Thank goodness the independents saw sense….
goodness me,we have a sensible,adult,grown-up comment from “who pays the piper”.l fully agree and maybe there is hope for us yet
@Oink: I deplore incompetence and grandstanding regardless of whoever the culprit is. I appreciate and welcome openness whomsoever the supporter is. You can never have too much honesty in politics.