New SNP city councillor in online abuse storm
Political Correspondent A NEWLY-elected SNP councillor has called a Green councillor an “a**wipe” accusing him of rejecting a pro-independence alliance on the council.
At the first full council meeting last week since the election the Greens voted against a SNP proposal to give the largest but minority party a majority of councillors on the powerful executive committee
Later that day Graham Campbell, SNP councillor for Springburn/Robroyston posted on facebook his views of the Greens Co –convenor Martin Bartos.
He accused the Green leader of putting party principles ahead of independence and branded him a “staunch unionist”.
He said deals on different levels with the Greens were proposed but were rejected.
He said: “Why probably because their a**wipe of a group leader is a staunch unionist and frankly has run rings round his less experienced new colleagues, making deals with the Red and Blue Tories behind everyone’s backs including their own voters as this idea was strangely missing from the Green manifesto for May 4.”
He said the deal options “Would have delivered a pro-indy majority City government, but early on the negotiations the Greens ruled that out. We then tried confidence and supply over the Leadership and the budget. They rejected that too.”
In a separate post he said: “I’m sure SNP voters who gave them preferences did not give them a mandate to frustrate the SNP administration.
“We tried really hard to get a SNP Green deal but their obsession with proportional represen- tation trumped their supposed commitment to independence for Scotland.”
The Councillors Code, which all new councillors have been briefed on states: “You must respect all other councillors and all council employees and the role they play, treating them with courtesy at all times.
Mr Bartos has not made any official complaint so far and said he would like to allow some time to pass.
He said: “It is certainly the kind of conduct I would find difficult to reconcile with the Councillors Code. I’ve not yet heard from anyone in the SNP formally about this conduct.”
Mr Campbell when contacted by the Evening Times said: “No comment. I haven’t read it. Bye.”
The City Council said it has not received a complaint.