Question over councillor’s conduct

Stirling Council’s environment convener has questioned whether SNP councillor Ian Muirhead adhered to the councillors’ Code of Conduct in a discussion over waste collection.

At a recent finance committee meeting Councillor Muirhead referred to a comment made by management in an email that staff had been partly to blame for the implementation issues.

At yesterday’s (Thursday) environment and housing committee - of which Councillor Muirhead was not a member - chairman Danny Gibson said he was “surprised and disappointed” that he had publicly commented on a matter pertaining to staff conduct.

“He really should have known better than this,” said Labour Councillor Gibson. “Councillors are not allowed to raise matters relating to the conduct of employees in a public forum such as a committee meeting or in the press. This is for a very good reason as put simply this would not be an appropriate or fair forum to expect staff or trade unions to have to respond within.

“Elected members have a variety of ways to take forward any issues they encounter internally.”

Councillor Gibson said his SNP counterpart was “perfectly entitled” to ask specific questions of council officers which they are then obliged to fully reply to but that he was “absolutely not entitled” to publicly disclose responses in whatever way he pleases.

He added: “This then puts our officers in a very difficult position indeed when considering how to respond to future queries.

“I would again pay tribute to our frontline staff, trade unions and management who have been working hard to ensure the smoothest possible transition for the public to the new collection service and deal with any issues along the way. Particularly as things are now starting to settle in it is time for us all to get behind our staff that are delivering this vital public service.”

SNP councillor Gerry McLaughlan told Councillor Gibson, however: “I was at the finance committee meeting and I haven’t a clue what you are talking about in the context of the Code of Conduct. A debate took place and it was a useful debate.”

Councillor McLaughlan added that the introduction of the new waste collection strategy had been the main topic of discussion in communities for several weeks and it would be wrong to suggest it had not gone through any issues at all.

However, he also acknowledged the scale of the changes and the efforts required of the service, having already previously praised its workers.