News / Gary joins all powerful SIC executive he opposed
SHETLAND West councillor Gary Robinson, one of the harshest critics of the way Shetland Islands Council is run, has been elected to the ruling group that he fears will now control the authority.
On Wednesday councillors rejected appeals from three members to avoid creating an over powerful executive committee as part of its improvement plan following last year’s criticisms by local government watchdog the Accounts Commission.
Instead a majority of members backed Lerwick South member Cecil Smith’s call for an 11 strong executive that will wield an effective majority – through the convener’s casting vote – when its decisions come before the full council.
Gary Robinson, Jonathan Wills and Bill Manson all argued that the new “cabinet” should contain less than half of the council to avoid it having absolute control.
Mr Robinson said: “One of the key things we were asked to do (by the Accounts Commission) was to restore relationships within the organisation – to restore trust and confidence.
“What will an eleven member executive do to that end? The answer is simple – nothing! An eleven member executive doesn’t need to trust the rest of us, nor does it require us to trust them.”
Dr Wills argued that the convener should be outside the executive, so he could “stand above the political fray” and ensure the constitution was upheld.
“I don’t think we should confuse the role of civic head and leader. If we bring the convener back into the executive it’s all going to get confused again.
“If you leave the civic head on the executive and pack it with chairs and vice chairs you will recreate your old system. It’s not real change. The next council will have to change it. We need to make a clean break.”
Dr Wills lost his call for a nine member executive with the leader, four committee chairs and four other councillors by 13 votes to seven.
Then Mr Manson stepped in suggesting a nine member executive featuring the leader plus the committee chairs and vice chairs, arguing that a “cabinet” should never be “bigger than the body it sits within”.
“It can be checked when it can’t convince the body that it sits within and I think it’s fundamental that a cabinet should be less than half the number,” he said, but lost the vote 11 to 9.
After the vote, convener Sandy Cluness nominated Shetland West member Frank Robertson to join the executive as the 11th member alongside himself, leader of the council Josie Simpson, and the four chairs and four vice chairs of the new committees.
Mr Robertson declined the invitation, instead nominating Mr Robinson who was elected unopposed.
Mr Robinson’s full speech opposing the 11 member executive committee can be read here.
The full membership of the executive committee is Sandy Cluness (convener), Josie Simpson (leader), Betty Fullerton (chair of children, families and learning committee), Caroline Miller (vice chair), Cecil Smith (chair of communities, health and well-being committee), Allison Duncan (vice chair), Alastair Cooper (chair of economy and development committee), Addie Doull (vice chair), Iris Hawkins (chair of environment committee), Allan Wishart (vice chair) and Gary Robinson (other member).
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