Storm over SNP bid to remove provost
Post‘politically neutral’
A political storm will hit North Lanarkshire Council this week as the SNP Group proposes a vote of no confidence against Provost Jim Robertson.
The motion, put forward by Wishaw councillor Rosa Zambonini, is in response the Provost’s refusal to grant a special meeting of the council to discuss the closure of the One Stop Shop for Autism in Motherwell.
However, the move to oust Provost Robertson has been strongly condemned by Council Leader Jim Logue.
Councillor Logue said: “Never have I seen such puerile politics.
“This motion is an unwarranted and unprecedented attack on the chair of the council.
“Worse, it is a petty, vexatious and vindictive assault on the personal integrity of a man who has served this council with distinction and supported many good causes, not least in Malawi.
“The Provost’s role as chair of the council is politicially neutral. The interpretation and implementation of council standing orders is at his descretion with legal advice as necessary.
“To see Jim Robertson pilloried in this fashion is shameful.”
Councillor Zambonini said that the SNP Group had followed the correct procedure in calling for the special meeting in relation to the OSS but had been refused.
She added: “This is not a personal attack on Jim Robertson; I like Jim as a person.
“This is all about local democracy. This is about the SNP Group asking for local democracy to be respected.
“If the NLC leadership had allowed this meeting to go ahead this motion would not have occurred. Maybe if Labour were more concerned with what’s going on with issues such as the closure of the OSS then maybe we wouldn’t need to pull such drastic measures.”