The SNP have successfully argued the case for a special cross party working group to deal with the cost of living crisis.
Kyle Councillor Julie Dettbarn requested the creation of the group after the Conservatives formed a minority administration.
This was accepted by new Conservative council leader Martin Dowey, who had made a point of forming a number of cross party groups to work on the council budget, the Station Hotel and the Ayrshire Growth Deal.
Cllr Dettbarn acknowledged the sensitivities of the situation, with the various political parties at loggerheads during the election campaign, but said that the crisis needed all councillors to work together.
She said: “While I recognise that right now maybe isn’t the easiest of times to be asking people to set aside political differences; there is no time to waste.
“The sheer scale of the cost-of-living-crisis is plunging very many of our people into desperate levels of poverty.
“And we know that there is much worse to come.
“We simply have to do whatever we possibly can as a council to provide support and assistance to our people.
“South Ayrshire has an excellent track record in providing help and support at times of national crisis, as evidenced throughout the pandemic. I regard this as no less an emergency.”
The SNP councillor also acknowledged that while her ire was aimed at the Conservative government in London, the blame could not be levelled at anyone on SAC.
“While this situation has undoubtedly been created by an incompetent and out of touch Westminster Tory Government; it is to them that responsibility should be directed.
“It is quite clearly not the fault or doing of any member of South Ayrshire Council. We all have an equal responsibly to do our very best for our people.
“This is shared common ground. I have chaired a number of cross-party member / officer working groups over the last five years.
“In my experience, they are a very effective way of quickly driving forward important pieces of work; and evidence that Elected Members of South Ayrshire Council have a proven track record of good collaborative working for the benefit of those we serve.”
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