News has just broken that Councillor Martin Ford has been sacked as Convener of the Council's Infrastructure services Committee by 26 votes to 10. This is because he, following customary practice, gave his casting vote on the hugely controversial Donald Trump development which was planned for the Menie estate in Aberdeenshire. This is craven behaviour by the Councillors who voted to sack Martin and seems like vindictive political behaviour of the crassest sort.
An emergency meeting of the full Council is also to be called. The "Scottish Government" has also "called-in" the decision, which the Council cannot overturn themselves, as they bollocked up their rules which meant that the Infrastructure Services Committee has final say on major decisions like this rather than Full Council.
In another interesting development in this ongoing saga, it seems that Gnat First Minister, Alex Salmond, used his Ministerial limo to travel to a meeting with Trump's underlings the night before his "Scottish Government" called-in the planning decision to have the final say on the proposal. Salmond cannot comment on the planning process and may well have broken the Ministerial Code of Conduct by using his official limo to attend this meeting. Salmond has also recently been wined and dined by Donald Trump in New York.
I had been in two minds about this proposal but the bullying behaviour of the Trump organisation, the destruction of a SSSI and the opinion of people whose views I respect have brought me round to opposition. Perhaps if the Trump lot had been a little more flexible over the site then a decent compromise could have been reached.
If the Gnat "Scottish Government" overturn this planning decision then they will have prostituted Scotland and all they will then be doing is haggling about the price to have international capitalist's F*** us over.
LATE EXTRA: I now understand that 3 Councillors were absent from the meeting today and 29 chose to abstain on the vote.
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5 comments:
I'm a bit surprised that at least 14 of Martin's Lib Dem colleagues failed to support him. I would have thought that one of the basic elements of being part of a political group on a council is to support your party colleagues when they're under attack, especially when, as in this case, the person concerned has done nothing wrong. Although I have no wish to see ructions in the Lib Dem group on Aberdeenshire, I certainly think that questions ought to be asked of those who didn't back him.
I'm looking at this from a long distance away, but the man seems to have acted with complete integrity.
I don't know how the replacement convenor is going to demonstrate that he or she possesses equal integrity.
Iain and Bernard, I could not agree more. A disgraceful act by the council, which has now made itself look spiteful rather than liberal or democratic, or at all concerned with environmental protection. They deserve to be slated for this.
Yes, 29 didn't vote. Including Cllr Ford's Group Leader and Leader of the Council, Anne Robertson. A glowing endorsement.
Of course you're hideously late with the non-story of Alex Salmond, but don't worry, if you read Kezia's blog you can catch up.
Finally I do question your use of perjorative language at the end of your rant.
Are you against businesses investing large amounts in Scotland?
Are you against capitalism?
I know your party wants to nationalise Northern Rock, but I didn't realise you were that rabidly anti-capitalist!
HJD, whether one is for or against the Trump extravaganza is not the point. Was the decision Martin Ford reached one he was entitled to make? Of course, given that (a) six other councillors on the same committee made the same choice, and (b) he was applying the council's own policies in doing so. So what possible justification can there be for removing him? The answer is: no justification, but there is a reason - cowardice inspired by dollar signs in front of the eyes. None of the councillors who voted for this are fit for public service anymore.
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