Moray SNP "lack ambition" claim
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SNP Councillors in Moray have been accused of "lacking ambition" after concluding that taking on the administration of Moray Council at this point is not viable.
The SNP group released a statement this week saying the numbers were simply "not there to make it work".
After winning two recent by-elections the SNP are the largest group on the council with 11 members.
The current administration on the 26-member council comprises 10 independent and two Conservatives, with two Labour members and a Conservative sitting outside the administration.
SNP Group Leader Pearl Paul said: "After Sonya Warren won the Buckie by-election we all agreed that an attempt had to be made to take on the Administration of Moray Council. We had a lot of public support to do so and we committed to fully exploring whether that was possible.
"We have discussed it with a significant number of councillors in Moray and we have had some very positive responses but we were clear from the start that the final decision would be dependent on being able to form a stable, reliable and progressive administration.
"We are not a majority by ourselves and although there are others we could work with it is not yet substantial enough to be able to deliver the positive change we really want."
However, Conservative Councillor Douglas Ross, who was a member of the administration before being expelled over a school closure issue, accused the SNP of lacking ambition.
"This can only be seen as a sign that the SNP lack ambition to take on the running of Moray Council.
"They are either afraid to take control given the difficult decisions which have to be made or are too lazy to do the hard work of being the ruling administration.
"The numbers are clear; the SNP are the biggest group on the council and it is their failure to encourage others to join them that has resulted in this announcement.
"In the SNP’s own words this administration is ineffective and has a serious lack of vision and strategy. How bad must the SNP pitch have been to the councillors they tried to get on-side if they couldn’t convince them an SNP administration would be any better?
"The signs that this would be the outcome have been on the cards for some time. First the SNP wanted to wait until after the Easter holidays before making a move for power, then they wanted to wait until after the General Election.
"This all makes me think it was never their intention to take over but it would have looked strange in an election campaign to say vote SNP but we will do nothing with the power you give us.
"Sonya Warren and Kirsty Reid, the two most recent SNP councilors who were elected to change the running of the council will now have to answer to their many voters and tell them why their group lack the desire and ambition to run Moray Council.
"It seems the SNP have become very comfortable on the back benches where they can complain but offer no solutions, rather than trying to effect change they have promised to bring to Moray.
"I hope at the next council elections people in Moray remember this moment. The time when the SNP could have led the council but instead ran away from their responsibilities.
"It begs the question of why people should vote SNP in Moray just to elect a group that are more interested in opposing than occupying the positions of influence to bring about change."
Councillor Paul added: "It is extremely frustrating that so many so-called Independent councillors seem content to carry on with the Tories in an administration that has so little support from the public. It concerns us hugely that Moray will continue to be lumbered with an ineffective Council Administration with a serious lack of vision and strategy.
"Until we have the numbers needed to form a resilient administration we will continue to provide strong, effective and constructive scrutiny as the Council’s principal opposition group and make positive and sustainable proposals on the key issues facing Moray."
SNP colleague Councillor Graham Leadbitter criticised the administration after the news that Councillor James Allan is re-joining the group.
"It is incredible and frankly ridiculous that in the last six months the makeup of the Tory Group in The Moray Council has changed three times. "First the Tory Council Leader resigned, then he changed his mind and swapped with the Independent Convener, then another Tory was sacked from the administration, then a second said he couldn’t work with them and resigned, and now one has gone back in again.
"The people of Moray deserve far better than these Administration shenanigans."
