The new leader of the opposition group on Dumfries and Galloway Council has this week warned of turbulent times ahead for the local authority.
Annandale North Councillor Gail Macgregor, who now heads up the Conservatives group, had some choice words at the first council meeting of the new term today.
Mrs Macgregor had hoped her group could form a minority administration with other political groups, but the door was slammed shut when SNP, Labour, Lib Dems and independent councillors joined forces to take control of the council.
Her call for the appointment of area committee leaders to be delegated to those local groups was rejected, as were her proposals for a wide spread of councillors from all political backgrounds to take charge of key positions within council committees.
She said: “We’ve been denied that today, our region has been let down.
“We’re going to have a very bumpy road ahead of us – literally in some cases.”
The Tory group leader had also called for two cross-party working groups to be set up immediately: one to tackle the cost-of-living crisis and another focused on repairing the region’s crumbling roads.
There was widespread agreement that these are priorities for the council, however the new administration called for cross-party discussions to take place first and a council plan to be developed.
Annandale South’s Labour Councillor Sean Marshall said: “Both the cost-of-living pressure and the roads and infrastructure backlog are very urgent. Not surprisingly, both issues were involved in all the manifestoes including the Conservatives.
“But we have stated that from today or tomorrow we will be developing a council plan which will include these and other issues that have been raised within the manifestos.
“I would propose that we look at this fully as we are developing the council plan. I think we do need to address both those issues with a degree of urgency and therefore propose that we wait and discuss as part of the council plan, and agree a speedy way to resolve both issues.”
Lib Dems Councillor Richard Brodie, who represents Annandale South, backed the Conservatives call to get moving forward with the working groups now.
He said: “The discussions should start now.”
Mrs Macgregor added: “I think we’re losing the urgency on both of these items. I’m very aware that over the next few weeks the council will be busy and committees will be busy.
“But I think the creation of two working groups starts some work pre-recess over the summer period to bring back some really, really urgent recommendations to committees.
“This shouldn’t be kicked onto the next council meeting, the next one after that, or as and when the council plan is agreed.
“We’re going to have some serious issues over the coming months as we go into autumn.”
It was agreed on a 25-18 vote to develop a council plan on the cost-of-living crisis and roads issues, with cross-party working further down the line.
