Moray SNP News

SNP SLAM MORAY COUNCIL REPORT AS DICTATORIAL AND UNDEMOCRATIC

SNP Councillors have slammed the Council’s decision to overturn a decision made just two months ago on making a roads project shovel ready.

The report stated that the Council’s Standing Orders - one of the Council’s most important constitutional documents - did not need to be considered to change the decision, originally taken at the Council meeting on 30 March.

Buckie SNP Councillor Gordon McDonald was scathing in his response saying:

“The Standing Orders of the Council is the fundamental rulebook that we work to. They are hugely important and govern the way that the Council makes its decisions. Most importantly they are fundamental to protecting democracy.

“Our argument is less about the actual decision, which is over a very small amount of money in comparison to the Council’s overall budget, but rather the undermining of the fundamental principles by which the Council operates.

“The complete disregard for the Council’s constitution is dictatorial and totally undemocratic. It creates a very unwelcome precedent that could allow Administrations and Council Officers to bring reports straight back to committee if they are unhappy with the original decision and want it changed.

“The undemocratic process that has been followed has seriously angered SNP councillors and soured what we felt, prior to this decision, was an improving relationship with senior Council Officers. The SNP are unanimous in their dissent to the way this issue has been dealt with.”