News / Jonathan and Sandy “make peace”
THE FINANCIAL crisis facing Shetland Islands Council appears to have laid to rest the political rift between convener Sandy Cluness and his most vocal critic councillor Jonathan Wills.
On Wednesday Dr Wills met Mr Cluness in the convener’s Lystina House office to bury the hatchet that has seen the highest profile fall out between council members for many years.
The pair first came to blows when the newly elected Lerwick South member attacked the council’s plans to build a new Anderson High School at The Knab, eventually succeeding in having the decision overturned with the help of a last minute campaign by residents and parents.
Last year matters became worse when a spectacular clash between Dr Wills and former chief executive David Clark led to Mr Cluness joining vice convener Josie Simpson and three others in reporting the councillor to the Standards Commission.
However after a two day public hearing in front of the Accounts Commission answering questions about Mr Clark’s arrival and departure from the council during which Mr Cluness admitted that mistakes had been made, the heat has gone out of that argument too.
On Thursday Dr Wills said it was the chilling report by depute chief executive Hazel Sutherland into the council’s future that convinced him it was time to make peace with the convener.
“After the hearing on Tuesday I went home and read Hazel Sutherland’s report and it really is quite shocking. I slept on it and reflected and I thought it was time to put personal and policy differences aside because we have to concentrate on getting the budget back under control,” he said.
“Sandy and I very old friends, we have known each other over 40 years and got along fine. We parted company over the Anderson High School and my criticisms over the handling of Dave Clark, but I have said what I have to say about that and it’s been considered by the ethical standards commission and by Audit Scotland, and now it’s being considered by the Accounts Commission.
“We have had our disputes but these disputes must end. This is politics and we have to move on and deal with the next problem, remembering that we are in this situation because a bunch of bankers and speculators stole the people’s money.”
Mr Cluness welcomed Dr Wills’ gesture and looked forward to working together in the future.
“He came up to me and said it was time to make peace and I was quite happy with that. I have known him for a long time and we were quite friendly, it’s the last few months that have been quite difficult,” the convener said.
“However I am an admirer of the way he operates his business and what he has done for the tourist industry and I am quite happy that we are friends again.”
He said that he was “reasonably hopeful that the next two years would be good for the council”, and while he knew difficult times lay ahead he hoped that job cuts could be avoided.
“We are fortunate in this community we still have reserves from what previous councillors have done. What I wouldn’t want to do is look for job losses, that can be very difficult for a community like ours because people leave the islands altogether.”
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