Opposition parties claim Dumfries and Galloway Council has descended into 'chaos'
The SNP group has submitted a vote of no confidence in the Conservative administration after seven councillors quit the group.
Opposition parties claim Dumfries and Galloway Council has descended into 'chaos'.
The SNP group has submitted a vote of no confidence in the Conservative administration after seven councillors quit the group.
And as the SNP budget has been voted through for the past two years – despite them not being in power – the party is pushing for a fresh vote on council leadership.
An emergency full council meeting is expected to be held within the next fortnight
Depute group leader, Katie Hagmann, said: 'We have submitted a motion of no confidence in the current administration.
'The SNP group are the biggest group. The council is operating on an SNP budget.
'We've got business to do, we've got to delivery for the people of Dumfries and Galloway – and we're determined to do that.'
The minority Conservative administration has been in control of the council since leader Stephen Thompson quit as leader following his SNP group's budget being defeated.
The past two years have seen an SNP budget voted through but the Tories remain in administration.
Group leader, Gail Macgregor, told ITV Border: It will be for full council to decide the future of the administration and myself.
Clearly, it's been really disappointing that we've had members leave the group and there's been various reasons for that.
'I'm not going to kneejerk at the moment. We have had some immense successes over the past two years under my leadership.
"Going forward in the next two weeks I don't know what will happen. I would like to assure people that my heart is always in delivering for the region and creating that stability. This is a chink in the road that I didn't expect.
"We're here to represent the region. There's 43 members on that council and it's absolutely incumbent on us to work together for the betterment of the region and the services we provide."
The situation has been slammed by the Labour group, which has eight members.
Depute group leader, Carolyne Wilson, said: 'When the Conservatives took control of the council, they promised stability, but instead they've delivered chaos. Years of in-fighting in their group left the council paralysed and incapable of delivering for local people.
'While the attainment gap in our schools grows, social care is on its knees, the bus network is in crisis and the local economy is being held back by council decisions, the Tory leadership has been missing in action – too busy putting their party before the needs of our region.
'Councillors are elected to serve our communities. But those communities across Dumfries and Galloway will look on this mess with dismay – but sadly, not with surprise.
'The Conservatives have a track record of falling apart, but even they have surpassed themselves by splitting into not two, but three separate groups.'
Four councillors in the west of Dumfries and Galloway – Andrew Giusti, Chrissie Hill, David Inglis and Richard Marsh – have quit the Tory administration to form a new group called Novantae.
Three more – Ian Carruthers, Karen Carruthers and Andrew Wood – have also resigned and are now in the Dumfries and Galloway Independent Group.
Both Ian and Karen Carruthers were among seven councillors who quit the Conservative group in 2013, with Ian Carruthers becoming the then Tory group leader following the elections in 2017.
A council spokesman said: 'Dumfries and Galloway Council can confirm that seven councillors have resigned from the Conservative group. The council's website has been updated.
'Four of the councillors have formed a new political group called Novantae – councillors Richard Marsh, Chrissie Hill, Andrew Giusti and David Inglis.
'Three of the councillors have informed council officers that they have set up a separate group and they intend to call it The Dumfries and Galloway Independent Group. These are councillors Ian Carruthers, Karen Carruthers and Andrew Wood.
'The council will not be commenting further at this time.
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