Comment posted SNP’s Coalition for Progress now has a majority – 19 councillors by iain s maclean.
Me too, before reply
iain s maclean also commented
- Historically inacurate. Surely you mean a reverse von papan. ie.Facilitating the removal of a dictator to be replaced by democracy.
Recent comments by iain s maclean
- Council latest: meaning well is not enough
Lynda,Per your interview with James Robb and my last paragraph aforementioned:-
QED
Iain
- Council latest: meaning well is not enough
A break down of a Councillor Coalition does not paralyse the Council operations and so there is absolutely no requirement for an ‘emergency fix’ which would justify a return to past styles of Administration.Just because you, Ms Henderson, are not, as yet, privy to the full details of any proposed new structure of Councillor overview does not mean the intention is either experimental or untested in related spheres of operation.
Nor, I contend, should we sit about for four more years tinkering at the edges as the delayed economic strategy, nay none at all to mention, provides no economic improvement in Argyll.
Thus our population will continue to decline taking with it the viability of already fragile rural communities which show growth only in holiday home villages and/or inextricably further moves toward becoming elderly people enclaves.
As a result of such Council stagnation, Central Government financial inputs decline and core costs rise which further restricts service provision and that feeds back into a continued downward spiral of decline all around.
Please, please take time to reflect on your words ”honest brokers” for Argyll’s best interest and desist from the line that old is best, new is bad and delay will bring a bright new dawn.
Me thinks the James Robbs and George Freemans have your ear to the detriment of modernisers, who may still be learning Council ways but have vast experiences of the real ‘outside world’ to bring to bear. Something we really need.
Ta.
Iain
- Council latest: meaning well is not enough
Ms. Henderson, can’t see where you are coming from with this one or where you’d like Argyll to get to. Mixes up your past views and is not evidence based.Somewhat schizoid me thinks. But no doubt confrontational to the potential bloggers and so good for viewing figures.
Past Councils HAVE failed the electorate. Change is the only remedy, but change is always somewhat unknown by definition. However,if an effort is not made?
To quote Ian McDougall:- ”If you always do the same thing, you will always get the same outcome”. Is that what we all really want ‘for Argyll’?
Surely it is a given that aspects of the Council must be robustly supported or else collapse will occur and no Administration would deliberately undermine those services or the management of them. More,I DOUBT IF AT LAW THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO SO.
COUNCILLORS MUST BETTER DIRECT, which is mostly all they should do, Administrators transmit those directions to Managers who should ensure outcomes and monitor performance with a view to future corrections and/or improvements.
It is this process which needs adjustment. This chain of ‘command’ if you like. Not dangerous, to review or implement. Could even better engage the electorate.
WIN,WIN.
And please, Lynda, no more talk of how great were those who have patently failed us all in oh so many ways.
Have a little faith, why don’t you?
Give the new guys on the block a chance and try not to stifle their well intentioned efforts before they start. For it is very early days as yet.
Iain
- Council gets through the longest day – time now to get moving
Yes, I’m back after a long break of protest.I can only offer approbation to For Argyll, who return to their DNA in highlighting the best political route ‘for Argyll’, in the light of positivity.
If we as a County learn to believe in ourselves and the silent majority can find the courage and will to speak up we will not only overcome our difficulties but as a bonus ‘put down’ the cynics whoes posts always seem to shout first and loudest, on here.
Yesterday’s COALITION Council budget sets out a renewed beginning,ONLY a base from which to build.
Struan Lodge has been given the opportunity to continue to support those amoungst us in the Dunoon area who have survived a long life and deserve our help in their twilight years. Few know of the herculean efforts of Councillors Breslin and Blair further assisted by Councillor Kelly, to hold this door open.
Yes the ‘model’ of care MUST change and success in a new direction is guarenteed only by the will of the population, as demontrated by the petition raised, materialising in a practical way.
That’s all for now folks.
Life to the full.
Iain
- Russell presence at council administration away day raises concerns
Dot you have identified a sad trend which I FEEL is somewhat orcastrated as well, and so I TOO will be following your example.
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There is a God after all, hallelujah! ….Sweet
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WOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WELL DONE EVERYONE!
Now lets all go to Dunoon on Thursday for a party! hehehe
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A new dawn – I just hope that the SNP group don’t ever forget that once upon a time they were in bed with Walsh & co, and resist any future temptations to make inappropriate pacts with unsuitable partners – or their past will come back to haunt them.
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The example of the Alliance should never be forgotten in terms of a descent into ‘anything goes’ that should never be replicated.
The best guarantee is Roddy McCuish’s nature which has been steadfastly honest. The challenge for him will be to hang on to that in the face of anything – and that is bound at some point to bring its difficulties.
We have all seen politicians who have become little more than holograms after selling off any semblance of integrity. It is hard – now – to imagine the straightforward Roddy McCuish committing or permitting any departure in that direction.
We will be as much on watch with this administration as with any other. And, as we have said, the presence of the Argyll First group is both reassurance and canary.
It is not the number of bodies in the coalition that matters, it is the substance of those bodies.
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Crazy; Hope you’ve got your tin hat on for when the surfers and trolls start throwing their toys out of their cots!!
Voters in Dunoon have a clear choice now, conflict or Coalition for Progress.
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No fair!!
There goes my hope of a SUPER School based in H’burgh which can accomodate 199000 children from sunday evening to friday afternoon.
Mortons? are you reading this??
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Hooray for the coalition and the honest-as-the-day-is-long postie McCuish. Looking round the virtual room containing them all I see so many people I trust. I can’t remember when we last had a council ruling group I could say that about! Now I am going to burn their ears off about protecting our amazing heritage and celebrating our astounding culture. Who will they get to lead that particular charge?
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Go for it, Catherine. Burn all the ears. This issue needs a lightening strike – to be the best.
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you will not be alone Catherine… there was plenty of support for what we have in the landscape around us this weekend by the Scottish Place Names Society conference.
Some of us may only be small voices but together we have the most vital message to shout about.
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18 months of effort and personal loss just became worthwhile. My kids have a better future and I look forward to them enjoying it.
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I am thrilled and delighted for Argyll and Bute. Roddy will prove an excellent leader and has an excellent team around him.
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To quote Private Fraser,”We’re doomed”.
I predict that turnout in Cowal will be very low. The exercise will be largely pointless.
It certainly raises the question of whether in the case of the death of a candidate the whole council election should be postponed and not just the ward.
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Councillor Donald Kelly , the Von Papen of Argyll and Bute Council ?
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Historically inacurate. Surely you mean a reverse von papan. ie.Facilitating the removal of a dictator to be replaced by democracy.
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Try doing a Von Papen Wikipedia search and read the first paragraph .
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Okay, I read that just in case memory had abandoned me and I deem you to be either offensive or plain uninformed.
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Me too, before reply
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The election on Thursday is far from meaningless. The composition of the Cowal and Bute Area committee will be determined by it.
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Will Councillor Isobel Strong be in charge of education ?
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Do I detect some soor grapes there Islay?
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LOL! I’ve no idea who’ll be in charge of education but I’ll warrant if it’s Isobel Strong some council officials could be feeling very sorry for themselves!
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I spy kintyre1 in a new guise.
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OK, wishlist time! Who do we want in the leadership roles?
I think George Freeman should definitely get some kind of leaders post back for all that he lost and gave up.
We need able people to deal with the Officers who unexplicably think they are in charge – hahaha – to be a fly on the Kilmory walls this morning!
Answers on a postcard
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Friday evening I was feeling a bit deflated with the results. Come Monday and I am euphoric. Same results but a different outcome. I am so glad that Cllr Elaine Robertson has joined the Coalition (the good one that is!). She is held in great respect in North Argyll but her membership of the Alliance was straining relationships. Early signs that Roddy is going to make an excellent leader of the Council.
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What a breath of fresh air we now have to get the good guys back in Cowal on Thursday and really give Dick Welsh the message closed door nepotism in our council is finished
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Great news. Hope they put James Robb in charge of the Helensburgh and Lomond Area Committee.
Small point: Rosneath’s Robert McIntyre is not new to local politics. He represented Rosneath and Clynder on a previous local authority.
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Helensburgh District in 1968
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Good morning folks how about some predictions.
Dick Walsh will pull out of the election on Thursday as he would rather do the garden now.
Duncan MacIntyre will retire and buy a boat to tour the west coast looking for potential pontoon sites.
By election in the North and with the backing of Lowry and JayC, Donald Melville will sail in with the help of his new kayak.
Or will Easdale go for Independence and elect Duncan as El Presidentee? Who said life in Argyll was quiet, all we need now is Trump moving to Tiree to build a new golf course and Murdock to buy the Oban Times and we have the lot.
Power to the People.
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Awww thanks for thinking of me but alas I’m in the wrong ward for my vote to count. Power to the people, well 93% of them anyway! Have a nice day.
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I would not be so hasty. Mr Walsh has, in the past, shown himself to be a very shrewd operator. And it is not unheard of for people who did think they would go with one grouping to then change their minds.
So while this McCuish coalition looks *probable*, I would wait until after the Dunoon count before cracking open the bubbly.
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For Mairi.
Do you think that Dick Walsh will go in with Roddy’s coalition if he’s elected surely not?
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would like to think that my drunken lecture on Friday swung oor Bobbie round but I don’t care as long as the Dick Walsh ring of power is broken!!
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For Neil MacIntyre and Mairi, there are some members of the Alliance who are “person non grata” and who would not be welcomed into the new coalition. Prior to Friday there were six. That has now reduced to four. It does not take a genious to work out who they are.
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Hi DB, your “drunken lecture” and the advice from other community contacts on Friday and Saturday would have helped. I did spend some time on the phone late on Saturday night and standing on Peaton Hill on Sunday morning explaining the various options to Robert. I have no doubt that along with me, he has taken the best decision as far as his constituents are concerned. After all, it is our communities and our constituents who are the most important people.
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Well, well – it looks like a new administration in Kilmory. The best of luck to them – given the challenges the area faces – they’ll certainly need it.
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I hope the new coalition brings the new approach that Kilmory needs and the correct persons are given the jobs that will turn round Argyll and Bute and help people who elected this new grouping
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Real progress at last for honest decent people.
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O/T – slightly
Have a look at Gerry Hassan’s (intelligent) comment on the Glasgow result at http://www.gerryhassan.com/blog/the-story-the-media-should-have-told-you-about-glasgow/
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