THE independent councillor at the centre of the Argyll and Bute Council scandal, over what he says were attempts to silence him, has called for Scotland’s standards system to be overhauled.
Councillor Mike Breslin faced allegations against him by three senior councillors and then by the four most senior council officers at Argyll.
After a Public Standards Commissioners’ report and a Standards Commission hearing, all 15 elements of the complaints by the councillors were dismissed as were 14 of the 15 elements of the complaints by the officers. Breslin was censured over one email that was not even sent to the officials involved.
He feels the standards processes let him down: “The whole standards system badly needs a major shake. Do we really need to spend the £1 million the standards regime costs this country? It seems like the system is more often used to settle scores of one type or another and at great cost to the public purse. The two complaints against me probably cost around £50k of public money, even though Argyll & Bute Council continues to state no costs were involved.
“A sharpening up of the existing criminal law on Misconduct in a Public Office would be enough to sort out the real baddies, officers and councillors alike. That would be something Scotland could be proud of so let’s start the debate now on how we clean up this very murky part of the public sector.”
Breslin added: “This affair has brought the dire state of local government into focus. All I tried to do as a councillor was to represent the people in my ward and to pursue issues they had raised with me.”
Breslin asked a range of questions on issues such as the sale of Castle Toward school.
He said: “I represented my community in its attempts to buy Castle Toward, a community buyout that would have created a huge economic impact. That community buyout was made to fail by the council. Those leading the buyout were exposed to all sorts of chicanery as they will testify. I also argued the case on behalf of the undervalued and underpaid care at home staff who look after our elderly. It became clear to me in 2013 that many of them were being paid far less than the minimum wage.
“These staff are employed by sub contractors to the council but I stress that not all of these contractors pay below the minimum wage. The intransigence of council officers, and the disinterest of many elected members, meant I failed to solve the problem over three-plus years.”
Breslin said he had suffered badly as a result of the complaints against him: “In the 25 months it took to bring the complaints to their conclusion, I don’t mind saying I was under severe pressure at times. But for those who supported me, I might well have said enough was enough.
“I was fortunate enough to have had the resources to pay the five figure costs involved but I am sure many others would not have been as lucky as me and would have had to give in to the pressure.”
The National asked Argyll and Bute Council for its comments on Cllr Breslin’s statements. A spokesman replied: “The complaints process concluded at the meeting of the Council in November 2016 when councillors noted the written findings of the Standards Commission hearing.”
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