Moray library closures ‘chaos’ slammed as MP Seamus Logan turns fire on ruling Tory council group
The chaotic response to plans to close librarians in Moray has drawn fire from a local MP.
Campaigners battling to save a total of seven closure-threatened libraries - including Cullen - were jubilant after press release from Moray Council’s ruling Conservative group stated that the plans “would no longer be taken forward” due to “overwhelming opposition” expressed in a public conversation.
Chaos reigned, however, when a later release rowed back on this position, stating that the matter had no, in fact, been shelved, rather that the Tory group would not be supporting the proposals. A decision on the matter is due to be made next year by the full council.
The debacle has been slammed by Aberdeenshire North and Moray East SNP MP Seamus Logan.
He said: “The Conservatives have performed so many u-turns and backflips on this question of potential library closures across Moray that it seems their local HQ celebrated far too soon in announcing that these seven libraries would stay open.
“To add insult to injury in this failure of communication, certain Tory councillors also seemed to think that closures were off the table. Now it’s clear that this is not the case, that the corks were popped rather prematurely, and that Moray Council is still to make a final decision on this important matter.”
The current consultation on the future of Fochabers, Lossiemouth, Burghead, Cullen, Dufftown, Keith and Tomintoul libraries is due to be completed by the end of January 2025 when the formal decision will be announced by the Conservative-led council.
Mr Logan added: “I have made it clear that as the local MP I strongly disagree with the council’s approach to library closures.
“These well-loved public resources should not be under threat. Libraries are absolutely vital to our local communities, for children, for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and disabled and for access to a wealth of literature for local people and its these very local people who have made their opposition to closures well known.
"The Scottish Government has just allocated more than £1 billion in the budget to local authorities – my advice to Moray Council would be for them to use some of these funds to keep the libraries open to the public.
“In the meantime, I hope the council will do its upmost to reassure local people that, unlike their party HQ in Moray, they will put libraries before politics and that this kind of amateur and unprofessional mix up will not occur again.”
