Stocks ‘has failed in his duty’ as convener

Dear Editor

We feel the need to respond to last week’s Advertiser article in which Councillor David Stocks, the SNP group leader in North Lanarkshire, attacked councillors like ourselves who have resigned from the Labour Party on a matter of principle.

Councillor Stocks claims he was unwilling to rely on the support of rebel Labour councillors who, in his words, “have themselves let North Lanarkshire down in the past”.

We take exception to this labelling, particularly from a councillor who, we feel, has failed in his duty as convenor of audit and governance for North Lanarkshire to expose very serious issues raised by his SNP colleague Alex Neil MSP in the same edition of your newspaper.

It appears Councillor Stocks is putting his friendship with council leader Jim Logue before all else.

A special meeting of audit and governance took place last September and we understand Councillor Stocks failed to inform his SNP colleagues of the contents of the external auditors’ report, as well as failing to report back at the full council meeting.

Some may say it seems far-fetched that the leader of the SNP group covered up for the Labour leader but the facts speak for themselves.

It is worth noting that this is the first time in the history of North Lanarkshire Council that an SNP councillor has been appointed as a convenor of a committee. The timing is interesting.

Perhaps other SNP councillors can now question why Councillor Stocks himself forwarded the motion not to support a previous vote of no confidence in Councillor Logue and his team and why we feel he withheld information from them.

We will undoubtedly be branded, along with other colleagues who leave the Labour party, as“malcontents” and be told it’s just sour grapes against a backdrop of alleged corruption. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

Put simply, we have had enough of the behaviour of the current Labour administration and confirm it is our intention to continue serving the people of our respective areas across North Lanarkshire on a joint election platform with not only those who have resigned from the Labour Party but also other like-minded councillors.

We’d like to end by stating that our values and principles have not changed. It’s the Labour Party locally that has changed, not for the better.

We ask the good people of North Lanarkshire to consider these matters and the contribution we have made, having had the privilege to serve and represent you. Independent councillors, formerly of the Labour Party

It’s the Labour Party locally that has changed, not for the better