Buckie Councillor Neil McLennan has been removed as joint leader of Moray Council Conservative group
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MORAY’S Conservative Council group have announced today that Neil McLennan has been removed from the role of joint leader.
The role was previously shared by Conservative Councillor McLennan and Kathleen Robertson, following formation of the Council's administration after the local elections on May 5.
However, today Kathleen Robertson said she would be taking on the role alone.
The news came just 30 minutes after Councillor McLennan released a statement that he had been informed of further concerns relating to Convenor Marc Macrae and that he planned to add his name to the no confidence motion against Cllr Macrae if the accusations proved true.
Cllr Macrae had a motion of no confidence tabled against him in June, due to concerns of abusive language towards a council employee. This motion has been delayed until the next full Council meeting in August.
READ MORE: Moray Council convenor no confidence vote delayed
A statement from the Moray Conservatives said the group had agreed to move forward with Councillor Robertson as their sole leader, as this would "enable their group leader to focus on the difficult challenges of balancing the budget in a cooperative and collaborative way."
Moray Conservative Group leader Kathleen Robertson said: “The new Conservative group of councillors in Moray are now eight weeks into their term and have been learning and growing as a team.
“Eight brand new councillors were elected to the council to join three incumbents who were re-elected. It has taken time for our group to settle and work out the strengths and weaknesses of each individual.
"Going forward my intention is to ensure everyone in the group reaches their maximum potential as councillors, whether they are new or were re-elected.
"That will not only benefit their own personal development but also help to achieve the best for the people of Moray.”
Cllr McLennan gave an interview to the BBC over the weekend about the Tory leadership, amid Boris Johnson's resignation.
Grampian Online contacted Cllr McLennan who has said he will make a further statement later today.
