Falkirk 's longest-serving Labour councillor has resigned from the Labour Party, it has been confirmed.
Dennis Goldie, 72, a former Labour Group leader and Falkirk Council leader who was also Provost of Falkirk three times, will now remain as an independent councillor for Falkirk North.
Mr Goldie was asked for a comment but he did not return any phone calls or emails from the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
However, a senior source in Falkirk Labour claimed that the shock resignation comes amid an internal party investigation into “intimidation, bullying and harassment” in the Labour group.
Labour group leader Robert Bissett asked that all enquiries be directed to the Scottish Labour press office.
A Scottish Labour spokesperson confirmed that Dennis Goldie has stood down from the Falkirk Labour group. They said they could not comment on the claims that an investigation was taking place.
However, a senior source within the local Labour Party said that local people “deserved to know the truth”.
They say that Mr Goldie’s resignation came shortly after the Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) of the Labour Party launched its investigation.
The source stressed that the investigation was looking at the group as a whole, rather than individuals, and it is understood that several Labour Party officials and councillors have been interviewed by the panel, which was set up after claims of bullying and intimidation were made by members earlier this year.
Mr Goldie’s resignation is another blow to the Labour group, which now finds itself with just seven members.
They recently lost another long-serving councillor, when Pat Reid’s surprise resignation triggered a by-election in Falkirk South, which was won by the SNP’s Emma Russell.
It means the Labour and Conservative groups each have seven, while the SNP has 13 members and the support of Independent councillor Robert Spears.
Mr Goldie will join Mr Spears and Provost Billy Buchanan who sit as Independents.
The source said they were speaking out as they hoped that the investigation would lead to a change of culture to reflect “a world that has moved on and a party that has moved on”.
