Councillor says sorry for 'unwise' public comments
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A PROMINENT Highland councillor has apologised to his colleagues for revealing in the press that there had been a difference of opinion between him and his coalition colleagues.
In an email to the Northern Times, sent shortly after the crucial finance committee debate on Service Point closures, Golspie-based councillor Graham Phillips said: "A week ago I asked administration partners to change the proposal and keep face-to-face contact and neither the Lib-Dems nor Labour would entertain it. I have kept at it relentlessly ever since, so I’m delighted to have won this commitment to outreach today."
He had not attended the meeting in question.
Behind the scenes at council HQ, several members expressed their annoyance at the statement and on Tuesday afternoon Mr Phillips issued an official apology to all councillors.
He said: "I want to apologise for revealing in the Sutherland local press that there had been a difference of opinion in the days leading up to last week’s FHR (finance, housing and resources committee). That caused unnecessary embarrassment to administration partners, which I greatly regret, and I should have handled it differently.
"We all accept that over the next year we will have to make tough choices. There is a difference, though, between unavoidable choices which are tough to swallow and choices which we make tough for ourselves by insufficient examination of the issue. Policy disasters usually start with carelessness and unchecked assumptions.
"Precious political capital is being spent on a proposal for savings where we have: insufficient analysis of what really goes on in Service Points; no information on costs and risks transferred to other services; no examination of options; no consideration of what work could be transferred to staff in vulnerable areas; no evaluation of the costs involved in the welcome promise of face-to- face service by other meetings.
"In short, no way that members could be sure how far the savings offered in the paper would be offset by increased costs elsewhere."
And he continued: "On the day before the FHR papers went to print, it became clear that the Service Point paper needed tightening up to be defensible. There was a request through usual channels to defer it for one cycle, while actually starting work on up-front planning so as not to delay eventual implementation, but that was not accepted by all.
"I should stress that my very unwise disclosure came during a lengthy interaction with a reporter, but that is no excuse. I recognise that I should have been much more forthright within the administration before the papers went to print, to secure a shared understanding of the danger we were in. I should not have said what I did outside, which did nothing to shed light on the merits of the case itself, and again I apologise for that, especially to Deirdre (Mackay, fellow ward councillor)."
On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs Mackay, who is also leader of the Caithness and Sutherland area committee, contacted us to say: "It was disappointing to read Cllr Phillips’ inaccurate comments in last week’s Northern Times but I have no intention of lowering the tone of public debate to that level.
"In public life, as in private, it is essential that we deal honestly and respectfully with everyone, in particular the people we represent, and avoid ducking issues or engaging in short term blame games, which usually have the habit of coming back around and biting.
"In Sutherland we have a particularly strong track record of working collectively for the good of our communities.
"In terms of the proposals regarding the Service Points, councillors from right across the county have expressed their concerns about the impact on Sutherland and these concerns are subject to ongoing discussions with both Administration and Opposition colleagues.
"One outcome of these discussions to date is the commitment that there will be no change to current services until such time as a new model is tried, tested and fit for purpose.
"The 15-month period will allow sufficient time for proper consultation with communities and the business cases to be worked up. I took the opportunity to reinforce these issues when I spoke on behalf of Sutherland at the finance, housing and resources committee. It is very important that people are reassured by these commitments and that the solutions we continue to seek will be tailored to the needs of individual communities."
She explained that the council would shortly be navigating their way through an unprecedented £80m of savings and "to achieve this will require us all to work together to minimise the impact on our communities and find ways to provide efficient services that are anchored to local conditions and designed around people’s actual needs.
"In local government it is imperative that we listen and engage pro-actively with our communities and this is a central feature of my practice. The period ahead will also need some leadership which I am fully committed to."
SPLASHING out £150,000 on Commonwealth Games "legacy" activities in the Highlands is in "bad taste", following the £160,000 cost-cutting move to shut council Service Point counters says opposition councillor Alister Mackinnon, who has attacked the SNP/Liberal Democrat/Labour administration’s move to pay for events and projects linked to the global sporting event in Glasgow this summer.
It was approved by the finance, housing and resources committee on Wednesday but came hot on the heels of the axing of public counters in the same Inverness meeting.
The investment, using the council’s financial reserves, will cover the cost of the Queen’s Baton Relay celebrations in the Highlands and the salary of a project officer – at an estimated cost of £50,000 – to lead Commonwealth Games initiatives.
