We understand from a variety of sources that Argyll and Bute Council has now suspended a member of staff pending a full investigation for which arrangements are now being put in place.
We can only hope that the council is aware of the gravity of the situation and makes no attempt to hold an internal investigation.
In the circumstances which have culminated in this situation, an internal investigation could have no public credibility.
Dead right – ‘an internal investigation could have no public credibility’ – so it would be very interesting to know just who is to conduct the investigation ‘for which arrangements are now being put in place’.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Yes, but have they suspended the monkey or the organ-grinder?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Absolutely CSB. The presentation given by the Communications Manager would not have been entirely of her own drafting and then presented without review, most probably by her next in line. As soon as any of us saw it the phrase ‘Spy Account’ leapt out of the page (or screen) as if it had driven over an A83 pothole in a fatigued Ford Cortina. It did so for us, it did so for the Herald journalist and it did so for Mike Russell. I think it is safe to say it SHOULD have done for anyone in the Council who reviewed the presentation prior to it being used.
Therefore one may assume that whoever reviewed it had no problem with the reference to it and, more importantly, what it was implying.
If there is wrong doing highlighted then the repercussions must be far wider than a solitary scapegoat. The assumption obviously is that is the Communications Manager who has been suspended however we should be wary of jumping to conclusions. A person in that role, or persons within that department, are obviously those with most to gain from carrying out what today’s revelations suggest might have happened however let us not forget that the gain is not personal and this begs the question ‘If they were doing it then to what purpose were they doing it?’ and also ‘who to serve?’
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Organisations that get caught indulging in some form of systematic skulduggery have in the recent past been ‘found out’ trying to unload the blame at a relatively junior level in the managerial pyramid (Newscorp, for example) and I wonder if this will be the pattern in our council?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I fear you may not be wrong.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
And now even the BBC has picked up on it:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16991417
Lovin the new spygate icon btw
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I fear this outside exposure to what goes on in our cosy little world might inspire the ‘creative media’ to produce a tv soap based on life in Kilmory – a local version of ‘The thick of it’ with a nod to ‘Yes minister’ and – heaven forfend – an intellectual level on a par with ‘Big brother’.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Perhaps STV will resurrect or revamp that old favourite from Luss, but relocate it in Kilmory and call it “Take the Low Road”?
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
Oh well, as long as they’re not indulging in astroturfing or sock-puppetry…
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
As it appears to be going to external review I wonder if Mrs Louden has had the good sense to lockdown access to the council’s computer mainframe to prevent any ‘unintentional’ deletion of emails or files.
Like or Dislike:
0 
0
I can only hope Ms Smith has not been tutored by Mr Mulcaire in obtaining information
Like or Dislike:
0 
0