A CONSERVATIVE councillor who quit the ruling Argyll and Bute administration over "misgivings" about governance has said his party has put him "on the naughty step".
South Kintyre representative Tommy MacPherson announced on Wednesday that he had decided to leave Argyll and Bute Council’s ruling administration – The Argyll, Lomond and the Islands Group (TALIG).
MacPherson said he had done so due to "serious misgivings as to the modus operandi of TALIG".
The following day the Conservatives’ group leader on the council, Gary Mulvaney, announced that MacPherson had been suspended by the party and would sit as an independent councillor.
He will now face a hearing in January on whether his actions warrant a permanent expulsion from the party.
Contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service for reaction to his suspension, Councillor MacPherson said that he had been put on “the naughty step”.
He said: “It is my opinion that they are just too cosy with their style of governance. The autonomous decision making granted to officers during the Covid era has remained embedded within certain departments and individuals.
“I have tired of appealing to senior members within the Conservative group of TALIG that there must be a refocus towards democratic leadership, policy, responsibility and accountability.
“In raising my observations, my frustrations, I found myself being tactfully marginalised. Now I am sat on the naughty step awaiting judgment by the one and same peers.
“I remain steadfast to the people of South Kintyre. I stood for election on ‘local issues, local priorities’ and these past seven months I have endeavoured to do just that.
“My vote will remain to serve the best interests of my community I was elected to represent. Never more so in this cost of living and energy crisis, my focus must be to the individuals and families that need their voices heard.
“So until the hearing in January the plan remains unchanged, it’s business as usual representing Campbeltonians and rural Kintyre, my community.”
Councillor MacPherson added that he would “never, never, never” join any SNP administration on the council in future.
