Labour duo table 28 questions of Tory leader - at one meeting
LABOUR councillors in South Ayrshire have asked five times as many formal questions in six months than the Conservative opposition did in five years.
At the last South Ayrshire Council meeting, councilllors Brian McGinley and Philip Saxton tabled a total of 28 questions covering six subjects – including the lighting of the Wallace Tower in tribute to the Queen and the return of the airshow to Ayr.
In June, Labour councillors asked seven questions covering two topics.
Those seven questions matched the number asked by Conservative councillors during their tenure in opposition between May 2017 and April 2022.
One of Cllr McGinley’s questions touched on the administration’s level of involvement in plans to bring an airshow back to the town.
He asked: “At the last council meeting you advised elected members that the airshow was subject to a procurement process and advised that you knew that the council had received several bids for this work.
“Would you specify please how you came to learn of these bids, what else you knew about the bids, and explain the nature and extent of your role in this procurement process?”
Council leader Martin Dowey (Conservative) responded: “Two separate organisations approached the council and asked for a meeting with myself, the portfolio holder and officers to discuss the potential to hold an airshow in 2023.
“After both meetings it was agreed that a paper would come to Cabinet to seek agreement to appoint a strategic partner to work with the council to plan the delivery of a new Airshow.
“Cabinet agreed this proposal and after an Quick Quote Procurement Process, via Public Contracts Scotland, the council received two bids.
“Members were not involved in the procurement process.”
Cllr McGinley also asked about the ‘gesture’ of lighting up the Wallace Tower,
“Would you specify please how you came to learn of these airshow bids?”
following the death of the Queen, a move which made national news.
He queried the approval process, the cost and even the colours used.
Cllr Dowey responded: “This was not a gesture but a recognition of reign of the late Queen – there was no cost to the council.
“The company who changed the lights did this remotely and did not charge for this to be undertaken.”
Cllr McGinley then asked: “Why were the colours of red, white, and blue used rather than the Queen’s own standard colours in Scotland?
Cllr Dowey responded: “Red, white and blue are recognised as the colours of the United Kingdom.”
Cllr McGinley then pointed out the coverage of the move and asked: “Given that the decision received widespread criticism, are there any proposals by the current administration, to alter the approval protocol to wider consultation and council representation?
Cllr Dowey responded: “A meeting was held between the leader and SNP leader on October 11 in response to a request for review of consultation process.
“Proposals will be presented to Cabinet on November 29.”
Cllr Brian McGinley