West Lothian SNP accused of 'throwing toys out the pram' over representation
| Author | Stuart Sommerville |
| Published date | 23 June 2022 |
| Publication title | EdinburghLive (Scotland) |
Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick initially proposed a motion writing to the First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to ask her to remonstrate with her local party, and to encourage them to take up posts.
This idea was dropped after an adjournment however, and a motion eventually passed incorporating only Labour, Conservatives and Independent Councillor Stuart Borrowman as Licensing Board members.
Chief licensing solicitor Audrey Watson told a meeting of the full council that a decision had to be made on a new committee. Three Board meetings have already been cancelled and there are nine licence applications which have yet to go before the Board.
Debate on the Board followed tetchy exchanges over the new structure for Policy Development and Scrutiny Panels, the committees which oversee council business. Many have only one SNP councillor serving on them, despite the nationalists being the largest single group on the council.
Councillor Andrew McGuire, for Labour, reminded the SNP that the council was made up of 33 councillors, not just the 15 SNP members, who had voted to accept the new structures.
Councillor De Bold told the meeting: "Our established position is that if the largest party of the council is going to be systematically under-represented on virtually all other committees then we cannot be expected to take up the slack for the administration on the Licensing Board."
Councillor Fitzpatrick slated that stance, pointing out that the SNP found itself in a similar position in neighbouring councils - Edinburgh and South Lanarkshire - as the largest party but unable to form an administration. In other areas the SNP has taken its place on committees.
He added that in 2007 Labour had been the largest party but was locked out of power as the SNP formed an administration with other political groups. At that point the Labour councillors stepped up for roles on Licensing Board, he said.
He said the Licensing Board carried out a vital role "critical to health, hygiene and well being of the general public, licence holders and their staff, and also in terms of public...
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