Senior Highland councillors have confessed that they had no right to suspend a colleague from both the Independent “group” and the ruling coalition shared with the Liberal Democrats and Labour.
And an opponent of the move to eject Lochaber councillor Bill Clark, pending a meeting of Independents to discuss his future, yesterday described the decision as “anarchy”.
Members of the 58-strong Independent/Liberal Democrat/Labour administration suspended him because he refused to toe the line on a policy issue.
They were riled by his recent objection to spending £25,000 – during a budget crisis – to provide temporary cover for social work director Harriet Dempster to allow her more time for her role as head of a national social work organisation.
Exposing the rulebook slip, former Independent group member Roddy Balfour said: “The anarchists have got rid of him without any basis. It’s outwith the terms of their so-called constitution or standing orders. A motion to exclude a member would need to be a notified agenda item for a group meeting and they haven’t had that.”
Such a meeting is planned for Armistice Day, on Wednesday.
Echoing Mr Balfour’s observations, Mr Clark also ruled out any option of quitting the administration to join the five-member “Independent Members Group” which was formed last year.
“I’m not walking away,” he said yesterday.
On the question of a lack of jurisdiction in expelling Mr Clark, Independent group “fixer” John Laing said: “Technically, there is a degree of truth in that. But I think it was agreed both by the administration group that until the Independent group meet to decide how we go forward that it was better in the interests of the administration that Bill was suspended.
“Our standing orders perhaps should be revisited to give some clarity around it. But that was the decision of the administration group.”
Highland Council continues to face a projected £4.8million overspend – £3.5million of that within its social work service.