Argyll and Bute Council’s SNP-led opposition ousted the Lib Dem and Tory led administration today, in a tense tie-break that came down to the cut of a deck of cards - twice - to elect a new provost and leader.
By the authority of an eight of clubs and a king of spades, a new course has been set for the council, and the region. How did today’s crunch meeting unfoldp and what direction do our new leaders want to take us? And how likely are they to succeed?
The council’s SNP-led opposition had launched a bid to seize control of the Kilmory Castle chamber, after the administration’s "reckless" and "unnecessary" 10 per cent council tax hike and "embarrassing" u-turn - which we revealed this week would cost the local authority an extra £78,000.
The Argyll and Bute Strategic Opposition Partnership (SOP) requisitioned a Special Meeting of the council on Thursday April 4, with an agenda of electing a new provost and leader, and making political management appointments.
Today was always going to be close. The ruling Argyll, Lomond and Islands Group (TALIG) counted 18 councillors: nine Conservative, five Liberal Democrat, and four Independents.
The SOP challengers numbered just 15: 12 SNP councillors, two Independents, and one Labour. Floating in the middle were three unaligned councillors. If they could be won over, that would equal TALIG’s 18 councillors, and go down to a tie-breaker.
Tension in the SOP must have risen when one of those three unaligned councillors, whose vote they needed to tie with the administration, was not present at the start of the meeting. Oban North and Lorn councillor Luna Martin (Green) arrived late in Lochgilphead, but just in time to cast her votes. If the traffic on the A83 had been a bit slower, perhaps Argyll and Bute Council’s fate would have been different.
All 36 councillors now present, the first motion to elect a new provost was moved by the opposition partnership’s leader, SNP Councillor for Oban South and the Isles Jim Lynch, who proposed its deputy leader, Douglas Philand, Independent councillor for Mid Argyll.
Councillor Lynch began his pitch. "Recent events have highlighted it’s time to change the way we operate things and the way we do things," he said.
"Sometimes change can be really difficult, but I don’t think we can continue in the way we are at the moment, with no clear overall strategy or direction going forward. We must develop an agile approach and strategy that supports the visions of Argyll and Bute.
"What we must do is review the way the council works. Our current political committee structures have been in place for quite a while. Now is the time for us to look at them critically. Are they fit for purpose? Did they deliver what’s expected? How do we know? And is there a better way forward?
"One of the things I’m talking about is area committees getting more power. That increase in responsibility also increases in accountability.
"What we have to be doing is coming up with a strategy that we can sell to the communities. Over the last two years, we seem to have lost contact with some of the communities. Some of the engagement is considered ineffective, and it’s not as good as it could have been.
"As a result, many communities now feel disconnected and in some cases ignored. We have problems with community councils recruiting, and I think now is the time to reset the programme again and start looking towards them.
"Why should we reset the way we deal with communities? Because it matters. When councils work well with communities, good things can happen. The combined efforts can help address complex issues, from housing and education to environmental sustainability and resilience. Community councils can be a health check for the way we’re operating. And if we’re operating properly, we can talk back to them.
"What can be done? If we come up with a strategy and a vision, we explain that to the communities, and sell it to them in a way that’s positive. In the past we’ve toyed with the idea of community council and community forums to share and exchange ideas. Implementing that would be a good idea in terms of that as well. That has to be a focus that we take going forward.
"Today gives us an opportunity to start a programme of change that can have a positive impact on the council and the people of Argyll and Bute. That’s why I would ask like-minded members who have an appetite for positive change to support the motions put before them."
The motion was seconded by SNP Councillor for Dunoon, Audrey Forrest, who said: "We believe it is time for change.
"We stood on a platform of trying to bring change. Not change for the sake of change. Change because we feel there is a massive disconnect with our communities now. We believe there is a perception in our communities that the council’s not doing well.
"We can’t always give our communities what they want. Everybody understands that. But we have to listen better, because it feels like every time we try and speak to our communities, it becomes a big rammy, basically.
"The onus is on us to communicate better with our communities. It’s not on them to pick it up and understand. The onus is on us to do much better. We need to listen better. Decisions made maybe haven’t been explained as well as they could be.
"I think everybody in the community and everybody sitting at this table understands that sometimes we have to make very difficult decisions and I think that’s been true recently.
"But I don’t think there has been a good enough communication to let our people know exactly how, when, why we’re doing these things. And as I say, it’s up to us. The onus is on us to help our people understand that.
"There is a public perception that we need change in the council and that’s why we’ve brought this forward today."
Against the opposition motion, the council leader, Lib Dem Councillor for Kintyre and the Islands Robin Currie, moved an amendment, proposing the Conservative councillor for Lomond North Maurice Corry remain in post as provost.
Councillor Currie said: "Since the local government elections in May 2022, this administration has focused on securing a result for Argyll and Bute as quickly as possible, but also mindful of the need to plan for the longer term.
"This administration moved quickly to develop a set of strategic priorities for the life of the council, and these include measures to meet key challenges like population and economic growth, as well as how we play our part in collective issues like climate change.
"This administration worked these priorities up and brought them forward just a few months after elections in November 2022.
"This administration has led positively and constructively, working in partnership wherever possible, from the outset. This includes bringing members from across the chamber together in the budget working group and joining together to represent on the big issues that matter to our communities, and which are too important to let politics to come into play.
"This administration has engaged constructively at a national level with both the Scottish and UK governments. Our approach has been fair, robust and resilient with a singular aim to get more support for our area and those we represent.
"Most recently, following the setting of the council budget, and council tax, on 22 February this year, we welcomed the Deputy First Minister and other ministers to the negotiating table, and we were able to secure on 18 March 2024 and extra £2.3 million in funding support to help address the impact of the severe weather last year.
"Rather than taking the first ’no’ for an answer, the council leadership has relentlessly pressed the case with the Scottish Government at every possible level to get the right result for Argyll and Bute.
"This administration has seen record funding of £20 million coming to Argyll and Bute through our Levelling Up partnership agreement with the UK Government.
"This administration has proved time and time again that we provide strong and stable leadership, that we are open to working in partnership, that we are willing to face up to the tough decisions that impact every single council in Scotland. And that while doing so, we keep an eye on the bigger picture, and the longer term.
"Given all this administration has delivered so far, all we have prepared and planned for, and put in place for the coming years, we move that the current political leadership and appointments remain in place and that no further action is taken."
Seconding the amendment to keep Provost Corry in post, the deputy council leader, Conservative councillor for Helensburgh Central Gary Mulvaney, said: "Stability and change can go together.
"We need to demonstrate stability. For the next few years, we’re going to have as big a challenge then as we’ve had now. We’ve got huge investment programmes. We’ve got a budget challenge next year. All those will require members to come together.
"And undoubtedly, there are members in every part of this chamber that can contribute to that. I would just like to make the offer that we do more work together.
"I know in the past where we’ve had budgets, maybe not this one Councillor Lynch, but we will have discussed afterwards that there’s not very much between what we’ve put forward and what the opposition put forward. So there isn’t an awful lot that separates us.
"But whatever the outcome of today is, we need to go forward with stability, because that’s what our communities expect. Because there will be tough challenges. There always has been. And we need to be able to offer that leadership to our communities. And I’m certainly very proud of the leadership that we’ve offered in recent times."
The item then went to a vote.
All 18 Councillors in the TALIG administration voted for the amendment to keep Maurice Corry as provost: the nine Conservatives Garret Corner, Maurice Corry, Amanda Hampsey, Daniel Hampsey, Yvonne McNeilly, Gary Mulvaney, Gemma Penfold, Andrew Vennard and Peter Wallace; the five Liberal Democrats Robin Currie, Graham Hardie, Paul Donald Kennedy, Ross Moreland, William Sinclair; and four independents Kieron Green, Andrew Kain, Liz McCabe, and Alastair Redman.
All 15 councillors in the Strategic Opposition Partnership voted for the motion to install Douglas Philand as provost: the 12 SNP Councillors John Armour, Gordon Blair, Jan Brown, Math Campbell-Sturgess, Audrey Forrest, Willie Hume, Reeni Kennedy-Boyle, Jim Lynch, Ian James MacQuire, Dougie McFadzean, Julie Mckenzie and Iain Shonny Paterson, plus two independents Mark Irvine and Douglas Philand, and the only Labour councillor Fiona Howard.
Crucially, the motion was also supported by the three unaligned councillors, Jennifer Kelly (Independent), Luna Martin (Green), and Tommy Macpherson (Independent Unionist), tying the vote 18-18.
The next provost would therefore be decided by lot - splitting a new, shuffled deck of cards. With his job hanging in the balance, Councillor Corry drew the two of diamonds, the lowest hand possible. With the odds on his side, Councillor Philand cut a middling eight of clubs, setting the council, and the region, on a new course.
Taking his new seat at the centre of the Kilmory Castle chamber, newly elected Provost Philand said: "Thank you very much for entrusting your trust in me. And I can only hope that I will follow in the footsteps of previous provosts. I think it’s only right at this time that we all collectively show our appreciation to the outgoing provost, Councillor Maurice Corry, for his two years in office. He certainly held the council’s head up high. I would ask the whole chamber to congratulate Maurice on a job well done."
Leaving his gavel on the table, Councillor Corry said in reply: "Thank you very much, indeed. Well done. Congratulations and good luck."
The next item on the agenda was to elect a new council leader. Councillor Lynch, the SNP group leader, was proposed by Councillor Forrest, seconded by the SNP Councillor for South Kintyre, John Armour.
Councillor Armour said: "I fully support Councillor Lynch as leader of the council. I’ve worked with Jim for the last seven years, and if ever anyone showed leadership throughout our own group, the SNP in the previous council and in the opposition partnership in this council, it’s Jim Lynch. An outstanding candidate to be leader of this council: someone that can work with everyone.
"And I would ask all like-minded councillors, whether in the administration or outwith the administration to support Jim Lynch as leader. The 18-18 cannot carry on much longer than this. This needs to change. We need to have a stable and an administration that can take things forward rather than us worrying about who’s going to vote which way, as we are at the moment."
Councillor Mulvaney then proposed an amendment to keep Councillor Currie as leader, seconded by Conservative councillor for Cowal, Yvonne McNeilly.
Councillor Mulvaney said: "I’m happy to support and to move Councillor Currie as leader. He’s been leader for the last four years. I think he’s demonstrated an honesty and openness of approach, in terms of how he does his business. He’s straightforward. There’s no Machiavellian side to him.
"He has negotiated with both the Scottish Government and with UK Government ministers to the betterment of Argyll and Bute.
"If this is to be the end of his record, and the end of this administration, I think it’s one that can go out feeling that he’s done his job and he’s done his best for the community he serves. And this administration has done the best for the administration it serves.
"If I can reflect on one final thing, and it’s maybe one thing that members want to bear in mind, and that’s the fact that this council only has £2.3 million extra today through the virtue of what Robin and the administration did a few weeks ago, in terms of the administration budget.
"Had it been left to the opposition, then the opposition wouldn’t have secured that. They wouldn’t have secured a meeting with the minister. They wouldn’t have pushed the Scottish Government to give us extra money to allow us to freeze the council tax. That is what Councillor Currie and this administration were able to do.
"I’ve got a long enough memory to remember back to 11 years ago when we had the last SNP leader, and you may boo, but it’s factual. We had two changes of leader and we had a leadership that couldn’t work with any groups. It couldn’t work with independents. It couldn’t work with the Lib Dems. It couldn’t work with the Tories. It couldn’t work because the strings of this council were being tugged from Edinburgh, and that is something to bear very much in mind: who you’re voting for.
"But I’m delighted to support Councillor Currie and for everything his administration has achieved and hopefully history will not repeat itself."
Seconding, Councillor McNeilly said: "It has been a pleasure working with Robin, because he’s so even handed. I don’t recall him actually saying anything unkind about anybody. He’s always upfront. What you see is what you get. He was basically thrown into the deep end, because we went into Covid, and we were really in uncharted territory at that time.
"And the one thing about Robin is, and sometimes I’ve shouted at him a bit for it, he goes at his own pace. But he gets there and he gets things done, and he takes people with them. I congratulate him on what he’s done. History will tell on his time as leader and hopefully that will remain. It’s been a pleasure in this gang."
The item then went to a vote, ending in another 18-18 tie, with all councillors voting identically as before. Again, a new pack of cards was produced to decide the new council leader, the king of the castle. The jokers were removed, and it was aces high.
Cutting the deck, with his job and all others in his administration hanging in the balance, Councillor Currie drew a six of hearts. Not bad, but it was not high enough to beat Councillor Lynch’s draw: a king of spades.
Councillor Lynch, now the new leader, paid tribute to his predecessor.
"Big shoes to fill with Robin gone," he said. "I got on really well working with Robin. I think you’ve been an exceptional leader. I think your mild approach to everything has been really, really good. And I hope I can do half as good a job as you’ve done."
Provost Philand added: "Similarly, from myself as well, Robin. well done for all the hard work that you’ve done for Argyll and Bute Council, and I look forward to working with you over the next few years as well. Thank you."
The third and last item, to clear all other administration posts and appoint new ones at the next full council meeting on April 25, was passed unopposed, with the new provost and leader in post.
Now Councillor Lynch and Provost Philand will have to govern, and get policies through the chamber. With both sides split 18-18, and unionists in their number, can nationalists hold a stable coalition together? Can they entice any TALIG councillors to give them a majority? It is all to play for.
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