West Lothian Conservatives conceded that the national row over No 10 adviser Dominic Cummings is “certainly damaging” to the party but the Tory group leader on the council this week rejected the calls for Cummings to resign.
Councillor Damian Timson, who leads a group of seven Conservative councillors, currently supporting the minority Labour-led administration on West Lothian Council, said: “It has been damaging to my party but I do not believe for one minute will affect people’s behaviours (it may be used as an excuse by those who would have contravened them anyway). And with all that I do not believe he [Cummings] should resign.”
Mr Timson said he had received one email complaining of Dominic Cummings behaviour but added: “I have seen several such comments on social media from local members.”
He added: “As leader of West Lothian Conservatives, what happened is unfortunate and is certainly damaging the Conservative Party, however the media (and left wing) venom against Cummings has been appalling. I do not recall this kind of behaviour when Labour and SNP MPs contravened social distancing rules and there are many examples of those.”
Mr Timson led a resurgence of the Conservative vote on the Council in 2017 adding to one long standing Conservative member- now Provost Tom Kerr- from Linlithgow. Councillor Timson stood as a local candidate in the December General Election, knocking Labour into third place as he took second place to Labour’s Hannah Bardell in Livingston.
Conservative councillors hold seats on the council across the county from Linlithgow and Broxburn to Bathgate and Whitburn.
