Duo could come back if complaints unfounded
The leader of Perth and Kinross Council says the door will remain open in the future for two suspended councillors to return to the administration. But the PA can reveal complaints against the behaviour and conduct of Conservative councillors Colin Stewart (Strathmore) and Callum Purves (Kinross-shire) will also be investigated by the Standards Commission for Scotland.
It emerged earlier this week the pair were to be removed from the Conservative group and from the Conservative-Lib-Dem administration at the council.
The decision to suspend them came from council leader Murray Lyle, pictured, who said he had “no choice” given the number and seriousness of complaints made against the two after a cancelled Integrated Joint Board (IJB) meeting last month.
Cllr Xander McDade, who also sits on the IJB, has since written to Jeane Freeman, the cabinet secretary for health and sport,
asking her to intervene in the governance of the IJB.
Following the meeting Cllr McDade defended the pair, with others at the meeting insisting they did not see anything that merited a suspension.
However, speaking to the PA yesterday, Cllr Lyle said the door would remain open to the duo in the future to come back to the ruling administration.
He said:“As the leader of the council I felt given the severity, magnitude and serious nature of these complaints, it was appropriate for me to take action.
“I have a duty of care for the council, which includes council officers and employees of the council, so it was in the best interests of everyone to suspend them until the appropriate authority, the Standards Commission, investigates, and it will definitely go to the Standards Commission.
“I have acted appropriately and taken advice on this, and this was the best advice I was given.
“After the investigation there may or may not be actions taken against them.
“Once these are resolved, they can come back to the group.
“Should the allegations be unfounded, we would be happy to welcome them back, although I
Cllr Colin Stewart and Cllr Callum Purves find that unlikely given the two councillors because of data significant number of complaints. protection rules, and said it would
“If there were any sanctions be inappropriate for him to be against them, we would review the “judge and jury”on this matter. situation after that.” Both Cllr Stewart and Cllr Purves
The complaints regarded Cllr have been asked by Cllr Lyle to Stewart and Cllr Purves’“conduct resign from the IJB, and both say and behaviour”after July’s IJB they have refused. meeting was cancelled at the last Cllr Stewart, who is vice-chair of minute. the IJB, said:“The Perth and Kinross
They had been due to discuss a IJB made a decision to hold a report into mental health services special meeting by the end of July in Tayside at the meeting, and Cllr to consider the interim report from Stewart and Cllr Purves argued the independent inquiry into against this at the time. mental health services in Tayside.
However, despite the apparent “The standing orders are explicit seriousness of the allegations, the that it is for the board to decide nature of the complaints have not when its meetings should be held been revealed, even to councillors and if they should be cancelled – it Stewart and Purves. does not give this power to any
Council leader Murray Lyle said individual. he is not allowed to share the “Despite having repeatedly content of the complaints with the asked for copies of the formal complaints made against us, we have not been allowed to see or been afforded the opportunity to respond to them.”
Cllr Callum Purves added:“I have serious concerns about the governance of both Perth and Kinross IJB and NHS Tayside, particularly in relation to their responsibilities for the commissioning and delivery of inpatient mental health services.
“Let us not forget that NHS Tayside is an organisation that is still in special measures following government intervention as a result of its governance failings.”
By suspending the two councillors from the administration, the Conservatives and Lib Dems now only have a minority ruling in Perth and Kinross Council.
This leaves 18 Conservative and Lib Dem councillors in the administration, and 20 others, made up of SNP, Labour and independent councillors, as well as Conservative Cllr Stewart and Cllr Purves. Cllr Lyle is however confident it will be business as usual at the council.
He said:“We will just have to deal with issues as they come up.
“We will carry on as before.”