Tories hit back at SNP’s ‘sulk’
Audit convenor comes under fire
North L a n a r k s h i r e ’s Conservative group leader has hit back after the SNP criticised her ability to perform a key role.
SNP politicians questioned the position of Councillor Meghan Gallacher as convenor of North Lanarkshire’s audit and scrutiny committee.
It followed a full council meeting which rejected calls to make public reports into potential fraud.
Councillor Gallacher said: “The SNP Group put forward three motions, two of which were to release reports regarding potential fraud within the council.
“The SNP know that it would not be sensible to release the report relating to the Labour Leader whilst this is under investigation with Police Scotland.
“In relation to the other report, it was decided at a committee meeting in July that it would be referred to the Policy and Resource committee.
“Councillor Tom Johnson questioned my role as Audit and Scrutiny convenor last week.
“At the audit and scrutiny meeting in July, the report was an agenda item.
“If the SNP felt that the council should release the report in full, this should have been raised by one of their members. Instead, the SNP chose to discuss this in the chamber to cause grievance and political point score.”
Backing his Tory colleague, Central Scotland MSP Graham Simpson said: “This all stems from the SNP failing to win control of the council.
“They are on a mammoth sulk and need to get over it. We’ve even had the spectacle of a Scottish Government minister, Humza Yousaf and two lowprofile parliamentarians wading in.
“Their protests have hardly got us quaking in our boots.
“The SNP in North Lanarkshire needs to grow up, stop the personal attacks and start acting like real councillors, representing their communities.”
Members of the SNP Group had called a special meeting to demand Jim Logue step aside as leader while the police investigated the allegations of fraud and corruption against him.
Councillor Logue had previously been criticised by the local authority’s head of audit over his conduct while chair of North Lanarkshire Leisure.
SNP Group leader David Stocks added: “The motions to release the audit reports to the public were also voted down by the Labour and Tory councillors, including the Conservative convener of audit and scrutiny, Meghan Gallacher.”
They are on a mammoth sulk and need to get over it . . . Graham Simpson