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Daily Record
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Record
Falkirk councillor suspended for three months over 'bullying' email
Billy Buchanan broke the councillors' code of conduct when he asked for advice on "the suspension of an officer" A Falkirk councillor has been suspended for three months after sending an angry email that said he wanted to "get advice on the suspension of an officer" and threatened to involve the police and a solicitor. A hearing of the Standards Commission today (Thursday) found that Independent councillor Billy Buchanan, who represents Bonnybridge and Larbert, had sent an email regarding a member of Falkirk Council' s planning staff that "amounted to bullying". Morag Ferguson, Standards Commission member and chair of the hearing panel, said: 'The panel found that, in an email of 9 June 2023, Cllr Buchanan was disrespectful towards a planning officer of the council. The panel further found that Cllr Buchanan's conduct, in respect of the email, amounted to bullying, even if this had not been his intent.' Members heard that the email, sent on June 9, 2023, read: "I am looking for a meeting with officials and Councillor K to make a formal complaint and get advice on the suspension of an officer pending the outcome of an investigation." The email referred to a controversial planning application that had been turned down by council officers, before Falkirk Council's planning review committee granted permission for the development to go ahead, subject to a legal agreement being signed. Baillie Buchanan told the panel that the application had sparked abuse that had affected both him and his family as well as other councillors involved. When the applicant's agent contacted him to say that the legal agreement had still not been signed months later, Baillie Buchanan emailed officers to ask that the matter be investigated. Several months later, he received another email - this time from a fellow councillor, who was not named - to say that the matter was still not resolved. A senior planning officer replied to advise members that the delay was caused by the introduction of new planning policy by the Scottish Government. But the panel found that Cllr Buchanan then sent an email, on 2 June 2023, to the other councillor and managers from the senior planning officer's team stating that he wanted 'an immediate investigation' into the situation and the concerns expressed regarding the senior planning officer's 'part in the handling' of the application. This was followed by the email on June 9, which suggested Cllr Buchanan was looking for advice "on the suspension of an officer" and referred to getting the police and his personal solicitor involved. He signed off the email saying, "It's scandalous!" Baillie Buchanan insisted that the reference to the police and his solicitor was not directed at the officer but had been because he and his family, along with other councillors, had been subjected to horrendous abuse because of the decision to grant planning permission. Baillie Buchanan said he had "never at any stage accused the complainant of anything" but he admitted it had been frustrating to send a complaint about a delay and "months and months later" to hear the matter had still not been resolved. He told the panel: "What I said, quite clearly, was that I wanted a meeting to get advice. "The reason to involve the police because we had had so much abuse. "I sent the email to try and bring this to a conclusion." But the panel was satisfied that Cllr Buchanan assumed the senior planning officer was responsible the length of time the application was taking. It was also satisfied that he was also suggesting the officer be suspended as a result, noting that the senior planning officer had been removed from the list of recipients in the email chain. The members of the panel accepted fully that Cllr Buchanan was entitled to raise questions about the progress of applications determined by the Committee and to raise concerns - with the appropriate line manager or senior officer - about delays potentially caused by a council employee. But they considered that anyone reading the email would conclude "from Cllr Buchanan's mention of a disciplinary measure, the police, his solicitor, and his use of the word 'scandalous', that he was clearly implying the senior planning officer was guilty of misconduct and or had deliberately done something that was improper or illegal. Cllr Buchanan said he was very angry that the email, marked private and confidential, had been shared with the officer. But members of the panel felt that "Cllr Buchanan should have known it was likely the contents of his email would be disclosed ... given the reference to disciplinary proceedings and seriousness of the inferred allegations about the officer's conduct (even if the full email was not shared)". The Panel agreed that it would be reasonable for the senior planning officer to have interpreted Cllr Buchanan's comments as a threat to contact both the police and an external solicitor about his conduct. Ms Ferguson said that unless there was a suggestion of illegality, an officer's conduct would be an internal council matter and Cllr Buchanan had not provided any evidence of illegality or misconduct. The panel found that Cllr Buchanan "had breached the provisions in the Code that require councillors to behave respectfully towards council officers and to refrain from any conduct that could amount to bullying". The panel agreed that Cllr Buchanan "should have known how to undertake his scrutiny role in respect of the application and overall process and could have asked relevant senior officers to establish whether and, if so why, any undue delays had occurred, without breaching the Code". Ms Ferguson added that they were concerned that Cllr Buchanan had not shown any remorse or insight into how his conduct may have affected others. But they noted that the conduct was limited to one email exchange and felt that a three-month suspension was an appropriate sanction.
The Courier
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Courier
Ex-Angus Provost faces watchdog hearing over town hall rant
Former Angus Provost Brian Boyd is to face a Standards Commission hearing over the town hall rant which caused his fall from grace. The public bodies watchdog has summoned Carnoustie independent Mr Boyd to a hearing in Forfar later this year. Notice of the July hearing was posted on the Standards Commission for Scotland website this week. It does not detail any allegations the panel will consider. However, The Courier understands it follows a complaint around Mr Boyd's conduct towards fellow councillor Lois Speed in a meeting last June. His outburst led to Arbroath independent member Ms Speed fleeing the Forfar debating chamber in tears. It came as Mr Boyd shut down her attempts to raise concerns over early years staff being cut in P1 classrooms. He told her: 'When I stand up, everyone here sits down.' Mr Boyd apologised for going 'over the score' when the fraught meeting resumed following a brief adjournment. 'It's a very terse day and this is an opportune time for me to apologise to Lois,' he told the full Angus Council meeting. 'I'm a very dramatic person at the best of times and I did go over the score. I hope she'll accept my apology.' But his conduct was condemned as an 'absolute disgrace' by one shocked colleague. He initially resisted calls to resign, but later stepped down as Provost. 'I recognise that my behaviour fell below my own personal standards,' he said at the time. Mr Boyd said he did not wish to make any comment on the matter ahead of the hearing. In 2019, the frequently outspoken councillor was censured by the Standards Commission It followed a row over an online petition which referred to a local minister as a 'homophobic reverend'. Mr Boyd signed the petition, which then appeared on social media due to the settings on his Facebook page. He described it as a 'regrettable episode'. Mr Boyd is expected to remain a non-aligned councillor following the latest turn of events which saw the SNP lose control of the council. A Conservative-dominated rainbow coalition is now in charge of Angus. It comes after opposition members won a vote of no confidence in the nationalist group this week.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Councillor suspended over code of conduct breach
A Highland councillor has been suspended for two months after breaching the councillors' code of conduct. The Standards Commission found that Liberal Democrat Michael Baird was "disrespectful" towards the chair and committee of a local community group over plans to transform Carbisdale Castle near Ardgay. Mr Baird, who represents the North, West and Central Sutherland ward, told the group he would not support future funding for the village hall unless members backed a land purchase. He has accepted he breached the code and has apologised "unequivocally", accepting that his correspondence may have been interpreted as "discourteous". Culrain Hall committee were approached by Forestry and Land Scotland on a land purchase by a local constituent, according to the Standards Commission. It is understood that it related to the redevelopment of Carbisdale Castle, which is owned by barrister Samantha Kane. Mr Baird became involved when he sent the committee's chairperson an email stating that he would not support future funding for their village hall if they refused to back the land purchase. Ward councillors can advise council officers on how local budgets should be spent. The Standards Commission, which oversees standards in public life, found the Sutherland councillor "effectively threatened to use his position and influence" to pressure the group. The commission also said Mr Baird had made repeated calls to the committee chair and "several unannounced visits" to their home. Responding to the result of the standards hearing, Mr Baird apologised and said it had been "a stressful time". He said he was pleased the panel acknowledged that his email correspondence was "motivated by the good of the community, and the creation of jobs that the project at Carbisdale Castle will bring". Mr Baird expressed his desire for members of the community to enjoy a "peaceful coexistence". Samantha Kane said the purchase of land was necessary for the castle to remain an "iconic asset for Sutherland and the Highlands as a whole." "While I admire Michael's passion, I wasn't aware that he had written a discourteous email; and I'm pleased that he apologised and that this is the extent of the finding," she added. "I understand that he apologised sincerely, and I'm sure that it was a solitary incident that he will not repeat." Additional reporting by Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter Will Angus The Standards Committee Scotland The Highland Council
BBC News
17-04-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Highland councillor suspended over code of conduct breach
A Highland councillor has been suspended for two months after breaching the councillors' code of conduct. The Standards Commission found that Liberal Democrat Michael Baird was "disrespectful" towards the chair and committee of a local community group over plans to transform Carbisdale Castle near Baird, who represents the North, West and Central Sutherland ward, told the group he would not support future funding for the village hall unless members backed a land purchase. He has accepted he breached the code and has apologised "unequivocally", accepting that his correspondence may have been interpreted as "discourteous". Culrain Hall committee were approached by Forestry and Land Scotland on a land purchase by a local constituent, according to the Standards Commission. It is understood that it related to the redevelopment of Carbisdale Castle, which is owned by barrister Samantha Kane. Mr Baird became involved when he sent the committee's chairperson an email stating that he would not support future funding for their village hall if they refused to back the land purchase. Ward councillors can advise council officers on how local budgets should be Standards Commission, which oversees standards in public life, found the Sutherland councillor "effectively threatened to use his position and influence" to pressure the group. The commission also said Mr Baird had made repeated calls to the committee chair and "several unannounced visits" to their home. Responding to the result of the standards hearing, Mr Baird apologised and said it had been "a stressful time".He said he was pleased the panel acknowledged that his email correspondence was "motivated by the good of the community, and the creation of jobs that the project at Carbisdale Castle will bring".Mr Baird expressed his desire for members of the community to enjoy a "peaceful coexistence".Samantha Kane said the purchase of land was necessary for the castle to remain an "iconic asset for Sutherland and the Highlands as a whole.""While I admire Michael's passion, I wasn't aware that he had written a discourteous email; and I'm pleased that he apologised and that this is the extent of the finding," she added."I understand that he apologised sincerely, and I'm sure that it was a solitary incident that he will not repeat." Additional reporting by Local Democracy Reporting Service reporter Will Angus
