Alistair MacDougall, the Independent candidate for Oban South and the Isles, elected to Argyll and Bute Council at the end of last week, has decided to join the Coalition for Progress announced on Sunday 6th May by SNP Leader, Councillor Roddy McCuish.
This brings the number of Councillors within the new coalition to 20, giving it a majority of 20-13 in a council of 36, as things currently stand.
The Dunoon ward, with 3 seats, goes to the polls on Thursday 10th May.
The coalition, widely welcomed from the outset, is growing daily in both strength and authority.
The decision tonight by Mr MacDougall – from Fionnphort – also gives the new coalition a majority of 7-1 in the Oban, Lorn and the Isles Area Committee.
Well another wee surprise for Duncan amazing how many people are seeing the light.Will councillor MacIntyre sit in a different room or will the new group set the standard and keep him in the loop. I am sure they will.Will he stay on?What next!! Sally Loudon to take a pay cut and gives up interior design?The week just gets better and better and its only Tuesday.The way things are going if Dick fails to get elected there will be nothing left to get any crack about.Does Roddy have a secret love child anywhere?I’ll ask him when we have a drink to celebrate his success.
Power to the People.Got to go to work.
Cheers Neil.
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Is the Dunoon count happening on Friday at Kilmory?
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I understand -Simon permitting – that this count will take place in Dunoon shortly after close of poll.
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For me this should be the end of it (with the addition of Michael Breslin should he be elected on Thursday). Of the previous administration there were two obvious targets from those who voted the school closures through and they were Mary Jean Devon and Alex MacNaughton. This is because of their initial opposition (although they then voted to push ahead once their areas were not directly in the firing line). Since that time Mary Jean Devon decided enough was enough with the Alliance (and I accept there are different opinions about this) and walked of her own accord whereas Alex MacNaughton’s lack of action suggests he is quite happy to continue being aligned to the Alliance group.
The other member of the Alliance that we often thought might be unhappy was Elaine Robertson as she just appeared very uncomfortable with the process although she did vote to continue with it. Given that these thoughts were in some of our heads the ‘defection’ of Cllr Robertson was not a great surprise and, for me anyway, the only one of the previous administration whose defection is palatable.
I would be very uncomfortable with any of the other Alliance members choosing to jump ship (and being accepted) as not once did I get the impression that they were troubled by the botched job being made by the Council and the juvenile manner in which they scoffed at suggestions that they might have got things wrong.
The numbers are there now, there is no need to increase them by welcoming any more members who are quite clearly not a proper fit for this new group.
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The making of “Rodders” will be how we will fare under his stewardship of this untried coalition .
The cuts in public services and school closures will be testing times that must be confronted within COSLA and of course locally. I cannot see Elaine Robertson’s sudden conversion to progressive politics as an worthwhile asset to the SNP horse trading. She is a proven trojan horse and the coalition will be a hostage to fortune in what comes out of her in crucial voting times. I don’t trust her. It is better said now that she is a carpetbagger and butterfly.
The coalition can for the first time put integrity back in the A&B by standing up to the nonsensical CEO and her motley team of shysters officers who have besmirched the good name of hard working councilors with the exception of lackeys, D. Walsh, D. MacIntyre, and E. Robertson and acolytes.
Roddie McCuish must be supported in setting out a working model that will improve services, boost the economy and jobs, especially for young people and students demonised by the central government, press and media. He has my unstinting support.
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Never trust a turncoat, as they are only temporary in their support, till a better deal comes along.
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