With the SNP in meltdown over finding words that make grammatical sense to pretend to islanders that it is sort of wanting to save the unloved Barra / Benbecula air link – but not really because deep down they actually now know the money would be better spent elsewhere – the comhairle itself has been its usual fair and rational self in the matter.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of the SNP group’s secret rewriting of the petition wording (see previous post), you would think the comhairle would play a straight bat. I have been sent this fascinating note and exchange of correspondence with the Chief Executive. Sorry, I do not have the permission of the first writer to name him.
“Yesterday I was contacted by a concerned member of the public with regard to a public petition in support of the Barra – Benbecula and Benbecula – Stornoway flights being removed from the council offices at the request of one of our esteemed councillors. I emailed Malcolm Burr the CNES Chief Executive the following letter.
Dear Mr Burr,
Following the voting fiasco of the local Southern Isles Councillors on the Benbecula to Barra route, we, as local businesses and individuals have raised a petition that the Comhairle maintains its support for the lifeline services between Barra, Benbecula and Stornoway. We have distributed the petition throughout the islands within businesses and public buildings for the general population to either sign or ignore as is their right. This afternoon one of the local councillors who voted against the flights arrived at the council offices in Benbecula and preceded to note each individuals name that had signed the petition and then had the petition removed, via, i am led to believe, yourself.
Can i please get some clarification as to why the petition was removed from a public building and if indeed Councillor ??????? has actually broken the law by removing it?
I look forward to a reply at your earliest convenience.
Kindest regards
This afternoon came the following reply.
Dear Mr XXXXXX
Thank you for your email yesterday on the matter of display of this petition.
“The Comhairle generally adopts the practice that it does not display or assist with petitions on matters of political controversy unless, of course, the subject matter of the petition is in support of a Comhairle decision; for example, had there been a community petition on restoration of full road equivalent tariff (RET) for freight services, it would have been appropriate for such a petition to be available for signature in Comhairle offices, since that would be in support of Comhairle policies.
The reason for the general rule, that petitions on matters of political controversy are not made available, is shown by your email: some members of the public are happy that the petition is available, others most definitively are not. The difference in this case is that the Comhairle has conducted a series of public (and internal) Consultations on its Budget Strategy, and the then proposal to discontinue the Barra/Benbecula and/or Benbecula/Stornoway air services was contained within the Consultation documents from the beginning of the process.
Members of the public have had a full opportunity – which many, I am glad to say, have taken – to contribute to that Consultation process, either by attendance at public meetings, email, letter or through their Elected Members, and, last Thursday, the Comhairle, having taken into account all Consultation responses, set its Budget, of which removal/reduction of these services was part. The Budget represents the Comhairle’s financial policy for the next two years, and that explains the decision which was taken not to make the petition available for signature in our offices. A similar decision was taken earlier yesterday in respect of public libraries.
The Comhairle will, of course, be happy to receive the petition if and when that is delivered, and I am sure that other public bodies, as well as local businesses, will be happy to display the petition for signature.
I do not think that any laws have been broken.
I hope that this clarifies the position.
Yours sincerely
Malcolm Burr
Ard-oifigear/Chief Executive
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar
… so there we have it, the Council will accept any petition in their buildings that agree with their point of view but if you disagree with their views it is not welcome.
Democracy in action ladies and gents. It is definately time for Uist to make the break from this sham we have in Stornoway. I wonder who the poor soul will be that has to die before they realise the gravity of this mistake. Not that they really give a damn.”
It is a poor show for the islands when the Comhairle, the MP and MSP are at daggers drawn. Is anybody going to make a sensible plea to the SNP government for additional funding for this service? Does anybody really care?
i thought you all knew – and supported – the ‘do as i say, not as i do’ here on the western isles. i am surprised it has taken so long for it to reach the words of iain.x maciver……
“A similar decision was taken earlier yesterday in respect of public libraries.”
Is this in reference to a petition about keeping public libraries open, or a decision about funding/funding cuts for Western Isles public libraries? Reliable detail appreciated.
Representing the people,protecting their decisions, or loitering in the murky void that lies between commonsense and a good decision?
Why are the OHCG not getting behind this petition? I think we should be told.
Lar(W), for probably the same reason that the SNP office in Stornoway refused to display the OHCG petition on the ferry fares scandal.
So the OHCG are just a Labour pressure group? I thought that they crossed party lines.
Larw: Given that the petition has self-neutered to “a consultation, please, if that’s not too much trouble”, I hope that the OHCG will seek the retention of the airlink until a comprehensive transport strategy by land, sea and air for the islands is established.
Speaking of which, where is ex-Chair of Transport Manford in espousing a complete transport policy for the islands in the brave new Scotland?
Perhaps that tells us all we need to know about the SNP transport policy. Sadly we are being let down again by another party.
RET was in the interests of the islander’s …….the SNP and the local bunch SNP misfits oppossed it to such an extent they went lying to the public…..door to door…..saying it was removed cos haughliers were not passing it on…….the SNP will lie through their teeth for thier own benefit……..this plane service being cancelled we are talking of is from North Uist to Barra?
Well would u get a plane from Perth to Inverness?
How long would it take Mr Manford to travel upto Mr Walker’s place? no more than it would to travel from Perth to Inverness….even less maybe…..
Billy Bafta, you’re forgetting that you don’t need a ferry to travel from Perth to Inverness. As for going from Uist to Barra, you have to rely on a ferry being available, and suitable weather for the ferry to sail.
New petition now apparently formally adoopted by the Convener of petitions C’ttee:
PE01472: Inter-island air services
Petitioner: Councillor Gordon Murray and Councillor Rae Mackenzie on behalf of Protecting Inter-Island Transport Links
Status:
Open
Closing Date for Online Petition: 08 March 2013
“Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review its national policies on the provision of lifeline air services between Scotland’s islands, consider the impact on local communities by the withdrawal of subsidies which enable such air services and to develop air transport public service obligations in the Hebrides and throughout Scotland”
This version is conspicuous in the absence of any criticism of the Comhairle, as in earlier version which was inadmissible. Perhaps the CEO will permit of this petition in comhairle offices as it is much more general and includes examination of other island authorities too. The task of the C’ttee in gathering evidence will take months if not years. Our MSP/MP should now seek interim funding help from Holyrood Ministers to rescue the Barra/Benbecula route, three days per week, before the service is cut in April.
As I have already intimated the Petitions C’ttee has no role in challenging/overturning decisions taken by democratically elected councils. The Comhairle should be congratulated on the extent to which they consulted at locality level on the final 82 budget choices.
@Guga…..
the ferry doesnt sail in bad weather same as when it snows heavily the road to inverness from perth closes at aviemore!
U can’t justify a plane ride less than 20 mins…it takes longer to take off and land than it does in the air!!!
Guga u are daft!
A non starter.
Love how they seem to care about this method of travel that is known as AB MacNeil’s private plane, yet disregard the Mallaig ferry. More rubbish from NATS.
Why wait until now to care when everybody knew early last year at the flight consultations in Benbecula and Castlebay. Granted there were only a few who bothered to turn up but everyone knew this was going.
I bet the people that are behind this were not even at the Benbecula consultation?
More mischief making which seems to occur a lot lately down there.
I often wonder why certain things happen, mostly after deliberation I come to a satisfactory answer. There are other times I wonder why some things don’t happen, it’s rarely I come to a satisfactory conclusion on this. I have been watching in awe as the once mighty and great along with the newly elected have shown true colours. This dislike of blue of the SNP is to be expected from vengeful labour who have long been waiting to get their own back.But, more surprising is the colours being shown by the supposedl Independent Councillors particularly from the Southern Isles.
Why haven’t any of them spoken out regarding the withdrawal of the petition in support of the Barra to Benbecula flights? Or why the champion of the Mallaig ferry intervened without jurisdiction in removing and taking note of the signaturees of the petition? Silence is deafening to the point that people are wondering why some things for no reason and nothing seems to be happening for no reason.
Is it reasonable to be asking why?
You don’t expect to go in to Tesco’s and find a petition that says ‘Don’t buy your food here’.
The council made the cuts, now you expect them to put a petition up to fight against them?
You shouldn’t have to fight the council. Nor should a councillor be taking notes of signaturees and bad mouthing them.