A takeover of power within Dumfries and Galloway Council has led to even more political unrest and division.
The Conservatives Group officially took charge of the council administration today (Tuesday) as Annandale North Councillor Gail Macgregor was appointed new council leader and Nith Councillor Malcolm Johnstone took up the deputy leader role.
Mrs Macgregor, who has been a councillor in the region for the past 16 years, said she was “delighted and thrilled” to be voted in as new council leader.
She added: “Ours will be a collaborative administration, working together with other political groups to implement the ambitious council plan we agreed last week.”
At the special council meeting to appoint the new leadership and committee heads, the Labour Group failed in a bid to install Councillors Archie Dryburgh and Carolyne Wilson as leader and deputy leader.
While the SNP sat on the sidelines abstaining from the new leadership vote, the Independents Group imploded as some sided with the Tories and others refused to do so.
This led to the group of seven councillors (six independent and one Lib Dems) splitting into three factions, which SNP Councillor Andy Ferguson nicknamed “Indy One, Indy Two, and Indy Three”.
It was also revealed that discussions between the independent councillors broke down minutes before the special council meeting took place.
With a rainbow coalition of SNP/Labour/Independents running the council just weeks ago, and Conservatives in opposition, the political make-up of the council has completely flipped.
The Labour and SNP row, which led to the coalition collapse, appears to be heating up further.
After SNP Group leader Stephen Thompson declared that the SNP would be the new opposition, this sparked an immediate response from his former co-leader Linda Dorward, of the Labour Group.
She hit out: “So, here we are with the SNP attempting to take the principled opposition role – or the opt-out option, depending on your perspective – when they could have stayed the administration.
“But they flounced off. They didn’t just leave the room, they left the building – and like petulant children lobbed insults via the media at the Labour Group; personal insults because they had nothing left politically to offer.
“And what did the independents do? They splintered at the first hurdle, and now they’re flip-flopping about at the door of political opportunity without a shred of integrity or credibility amongst them.
“Think about it people of Dumfries and Galloway when you next vote in local elections. Vote Indy One – get a Tory administration. Vote Indy Two – get a Tory administration. Vote SNP – get a Tory administration.
“The only party with the guts, integrity and principles to take a stand against the Tory administration are the Dumfries and Galloway Labour Group who put the people first.”
The fiery response from Councillor Dorward comes after the SNP last week accused Labour of acting like “mindless puppets” and following the orders of party leader Anas Sarwar to break up the previous coalition arrangement.
