SNP group expels youngest councillor
Maverick member put constituents before toeing the party line
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The SNP’s only Caithness councillor has been expelled from the party’s Highland Council group, it emerged yesterday.
Last night it led to fears among several of his far north colleagues that the move has seriously diminished the area’s influence on key decision-making.
David Bremner, at 27 the youngest Highland councillor, was widely regarded as a maverick for refusing to toe the party line on a range of issues, while insisting the views of his constituents took priority.
His dismissal follows his own prophetic declaration in an interview with the Press and Journal last month, when he stated: “I do not seek to cause trouble, but to properly represent my community. It is for the leadership of the SNP to decide if I am too big a problem.”
The party confirmed yesterday that he was, and that he had been expelled after a disciplinary hearing.
The Highland group’s chief whip, Pauline Munro, added: “It is now an internal matter.”
Mr Bremner, the Landward Caithness representative and civic leader for the area, is believed to be on holiday and was unavailable for comment yesterday.
He is expected to be expelled from the national party in due course and to lose his place on three key committees — transport, education and the fire board — as a result of being disowned by the SNP.
It reduces the power-sharing Nationalists to 17 on the 80-strong authority.
Wick Caithness Liberal Democrat Graeme Smith described Mr Bremner’s expulsion as “an example of the dead hand of corporate governance”.
But, while he doubted that committee membership necessarily equated to influence, others were more concerned.
David Flear, another Lib Dem, said Mr Bremner’s removal from committees was “not a positive move for Caithness” — a view shared by Bill Fernie, an Independent representing Wick Caithness.
Council convener Sandy Park, however, insisted the entire council was “working very hard to make sure Caithness is a success story in the next few years”.
Insisting the coalition remained “very strong”, Mr Park added he would happily talk to Mr Bremner should he wish to join the Independents.
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