By-election delayed as former councillor appeals against ban
A former councillor who waged a harassment campaign against two elected members has lodged an appeal against his 16-month ban.
Paul Mack was disqualified as a councillor by the Standards Commission for Scotland after he bombarded councillors Eddie Devine and Alistair Mackay with abusive emails and personal attacks.
He has now appealed the decision, delaying a planned byelection for his Paisley Southeast ward.
A panel banned Mack after he made wholly unfounded claims that Councillor Devine had influenced council officers into allocating his daughter a house.
The allocation was reviewed by Renfrewshire Council’s chief auditor and then Audit Scotland, who concluded that the council property was appropriately let and that there was no influence, or opportunity for influence.
In one email he described Councillor Devine as “white supremacist” and in another he said Councillor Mackay was having “cocktail hour in the piano nobile at The Savoy, quaffing a burra peg and slapping orphans, thinking you’re defying Hitler.”
Delivering a damning verdict on Mack’s behaviour, Paul Walker, chair of the hearing panel, said: “Even when confronted with independent findings which confirmed him to be in the wrong, Councillor Mack compounded his misconduct by continuing to make offensive and damaging allegations.
“A fundamental element of the Code of Conduct is the requirement for councillors to behave with courtesy and respect towards fellow councillors and staff.
“Councillor Mack has shown little regard for his obligations, not just in these cases, but on previous occasions when he was suspended for breaches of the code for disrespect.”
He added: “He has provided no justification, no apology and no undertaking to avoid similar conduct in the future, and indeed his participation in the whole process has been minimal.
“Imposing a sanction of disqualification is not one we have come to lightly but the panel is satisfied, in the circumstances, that it is fully warranted and necessary to protect others and to reflect Councillor Mack’s repeated wilful misconduct and unwillingness to change his behaviour.”
Mack was originally banned for 17 months by the Standards Commission for Scotland over the year- long bullying campaign.
That punishment was quashed when he successfully appealed the decision in court over a procedural error and a fresh hearing was ordered
However, the panel reached a similar conclusion and again imposed a lengthy ban.
His punishment remains in place until the appeal hearing is heard and a planned byelection for his ward has now been postponed.