Latest news with #MalcolmJohnstone
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Opposition councillors back SNP bid to remove Tory Dumfries and Galloway Council leadership
Labour and Democratic Alliance members have put their names to an SNP motion of no confidence against the leader and depute leader. Opposition councillors are backing the SNP's bid to remove Dumfries and Galloway Council's Tory leadership. Labour and Democratic Alliance members have put their names to an SNP motion of no confidence against leader and depute convener Gail McGregor and depute leader and convener Malcolm Johnstone. And that means more than half the 43 councillors representing the region are in favour of change at the top. The SNP are pushing for change after seven Tories quit the group earlier this month. That left the administration with just nine councillors, two fewer than the SNP. The last two years have also seen the SNP budget proposal voted through, even though the Conservatives have been in administration. The motion of no confidence - which is due to go before a special full council meeting on Monday - has been signed by all 11 SNP councillors, as well as all eight Labour councillors and all three members of the Democratic Alliance. That takes the total number of councillors who have signed the motion to 22 - more than half of the 43 members who make up the council. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Four councillors in the west of Dumfries and Galloway – Andrew Giusti, Chrissie Hill, David Inglis and Richard Marsh – quit the Tory administration to form a new group called Novantae as they wanted decisions made "closer to home". Three more Tories – Ian Carruthers, Karen Carruthers and Andrew Wood – also resigned and formed the Dumfries and Galloway Independent Group.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Majority on Dumfries and Galloway Council back special meeting
A majority of councillors in Dumfries and Galloway have backed a move for a no confidence motion in the Conservative-led administration.A total of 22 members of the 43-strong local authority signed the call, which has triggered a special meeting for 16 move came after a number of Conservatives left their political group to form a new Labour and Democratic Alliance councillors have backed the move which could see current leader Gail Macgregor and depute leader Malcolm Johnstone replaced. The Conservatives formed an administration in 2023 after the collapse of a previous had 16 members but that fell to just nine when seven councillors quit the group - four to form a group called Novantae and three to create the Dumfries and Galloway Independent a result a request was lodged to convene a special meeting of the local authority to consider a no confidence vote in the standing orders, the move must be backed by at least a quarter of councillors. However, papers published on the council website show that support has significantly exceeded that 11 SNP members, eight Labour councillors and three from the Democratic Alliance signed the they were to agree to work together in future they could form an outright majority on the full council will meet to decide the way ahead on Monday.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council group considers future after budget defeat
The ruling group of a Scottish council is considering its position after its budget proposals were defeated for the second year in a row. The Conservative-led administration on Dumfries and Galloway saw its proposals voted down in favour of SNP plans backed by Labour councillors. Convener Malcolm Johnstone said his group would have to reflect on what had happened at the budget-setting meeting where a 9% rise in council tax was agreed. However, he admitted the prospect of trying to work with another group's financial strategy was a difficult one. The Conservatives took control of the local authority as a minority administration two years ago after the collapse of a previous coalition. Last year their budget proposals failed to be passed but they carried on with another group's financial plans. Mr Johnstone said they had "major concerns" about taking forward parts of the SNP's plans this year - particularly around the use of reserves. "We will consider our position," he confirmed. "I am not going to make any sort of knee-jerk reaction - we weren't going to sit in the chair and flounce off, that wasn't going to happen. "We will be giving it very careful consideration over the next days and couple of weeks." He said he believed some sort of collaborative budget-setting needed to be found rather than potential instability over the next few months. "The council really needs a stable administration and a stable leadership," he added. The Conservatives, with 16 councillors, have the most of any political group on the 43-member authority. They are followed by the SNP with 11, Labour with eight, three in a "democratic alliance", three independents, one Lib Dem and one not specified. It has made forming a stable coalition challenging. SNP group leader Stephen Thompson said the Conservative group's continued hold on power did not seem viable in the circumstances. "It doesn't seem tenable to continue running with other people's budgets," he said. "If you can't command the support across the chamber for your own budget I would ask questions of myself. "It is really up to them to see where their moral compass takes them." The Labour group's Linda Dorward expressed some sympathy for the position her political rivals found themselves in. "I think they are where they are and they are doing the best they can with what they have - I think if we were in that position we would be doing the same thing," she said. "It is not about competence or about ability here, it is about numbers - the bottom line is about numbers. "We can play games about it, we can make political points, but actually I think we have got a lot of our work done in an opposition working with others. "I think we have done a lot of good work in the past year." More councils agree tax increases of up to 13%
BBC News
28-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dumfries and Galloway Council administration considers position after budget defeat
The ruling group of a Scottish council is considering its position after its budget proposals were defeated for the second year in a Conservative-led administration on Dumfries and Galloway saw its proposals voted down in favour of SNP plans backed by Labour Malcolm Johnstone said his group would have to reflect on what had happened at the budget-setting meeting where a 9% rise in council tax was he admitted the prospect of trying to work with another group's financial strategy was a difficult one. The Conservatives took control of the local authority as a minority administration two years ago after the collapse of a previous year their budget proposals failed to be passed but they carried on with another group's financial Johnstone said they had "major concerns" about taking forward parts of the SNP's plans this year - particularly around the use of reserves."We will consider our position," he confirmed."I am not going to make any sort of knee-jerk reaction - we weren't going to sit in the chair and flounce off, that wasn't going to happen."We will be giving it very careful consideration over the next days and couple of weeks."He said he believed some sort of collaborative budget-setting needed to be found rather than potential instability over the next few months."The council really needs a stable administration and a stable leadership," he added. The Conservatives, with 16 councillors, have the most of any political group on the 43-member are followed by the SNP with 11, Labour with eight, three in a "democratic alliance", three independents, one Lib Dem and one not has made forming a stable coalition challenging. SNP group leader Stephen Thompson said the Conservative group's continued hold on power did not seem viable in the circumstances."It doesn't seem tenable to continue running with other people's budgets," he said."If you can't command the support across the chamber for your own budget I would ask questions of myself."It is really up to them to see where their moral compass takes them." The Labour group's Linda Dorward expressed some sympathy for the position her political rivals found themselves in."I think they are where they are and they are doing the best they can with what they have - I think if we were in that position we would be doing the same thing," she said."It is not about competence or about ability here, it is about numbers - the bottom line is about numbers."We can play games about it, we can make political points, but actually I think we have got a lot of our work done in an opposition working with others."I think we have done a lot of good work in the past year."
