Comment posted SNP’s Coalition for Progress now has a majority – 19 councillors by newsroom.
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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- Go for it, Catherine. Burn all the ears. This issue needs a lightening strike – to be the best.
Recent comments by newsroom
- Radically new council group changes all the dynamics: party politics dead in Argyll
The fact is that the SNP councillors in the Argyll and Bute for Change group are not ‘SNP councilors’ in council group terms – as rules forbid membership of more than one group.
So the ‘Russell camp’ is definitely no longer in the council’s SNP group, although presumably they will personally vote in elections according to their preferences.
And IF the other 8 SNP members have actually joined [as opposed to supporting [the Argyll, Lomond and the Isles group, there is no formal SNP group at all in Argyll and Bute Council.
If this has become the situation, it means that the SNP as a party has no right of purview over the behaviour of ANY of its originally elected councillors, none of whom would now be SNP councillors.
You have to say this is fun. It's not politics but it is a laugh. - Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
As given in one of the recent updates above - the missing person is Councillor Strong - from the, as of this morning, Argyll and Bute for Change Group. This would leave that group with 18 members but only 17 present to vote - which would not be enough to carry them to administration IF all other 18 councillors voted together.
This has to be likely but in the current situation the finessing is so arcane that one cannot be certain of anything until it's done. - Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
The fact is that they were quite prepared to work with the Liberal Democrat and Conservative groups - but were ordered by the the SNP to face expulsion from the party or to leave the administration that was planning just such a coalition.
We do not yet know what the SNP party position is today - although in our 14.15 update above, we have laid out the range of possibilities - but we do know that the 8 SNP Councillors have not resigned from the party. - Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
Sincere apologies for the temporary error - now corrected - and thank you for the prompt.
We are doing our level best - live - to get changing situations out to people as fast and as best as we can.
When we inevitably have the odd muddle [like cloning Mary Jean Devon], it is corrected very quickly. - Argyll and Bute Council: Councillor McCuish leads again
Apologies. We’re working flat out to keep the information coming. Anne Horn got submerged by a second Mary Jean Devon – correction now made.
It IS a confusing situation because the council has elected a leader with no obvious administration to lead.
That comes next.
With two 18-strong groups, the issue is how will a decision be made?
We think that the Provost has a casting vote – a situation which with the Provost and the Depute Provost now in the same camp, cannot be other then controversial.
We cannot afford to drop an entire day for an event of indeterminate length so we do not know whether Provost Councillor Isobel Strong is in the Chair; or whether she is still absent through serious illness.
If she is absent through illness, this would not have prevented her known wishes form being recorded as her membership of the group named in the council email at the top of this article.
However if she was absent, it would prevent her from voting.
But the impact of that vote would depend on who else is absent.
It has been pointed out to us that Councillor Semple has posted on his facebook page since the meeting began – raising a question we cannot answer: Is he absent – which would balance the Strong vote if she is absent; or is he posting from the chamber as matters wind their interminable way through to some conclusion or other.
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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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