A councillor shouted "Slava Ukraini!" to end an impassioned speech as West Lothian Council discussed the need to help refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Frank Anderson, the SNP depute group leader, made the cry of "Long Live Ukraine" in Ukrainian before councillors finally agreed a motion on the aid urgently needed to help the millions of people displaced by Russia's invasion.
What had appeared to be a straightforward motion raised by Labour became an intense verbal skirmish, and after almost an hour of ill tempered and tetchy debate councillors met in private to see if they could find the wording to a motion they could agree.
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Eventually a joint motion was unanimously agreed by all elected members expressing their horror at the invasion and calling on President Putin to respect international law, withdraw armed forces and stop any attacks on Ukraine.
West Lothian Council also agreed to welcome their share of any refugees from Ukraine who come to Scotland, with an urgent report to be brought to the Council Executive on the support available in West Lothian for Ukrainian refugees
The motion also instructed the Chief Executive to write to the Russian Ambassador to the UK and Russian Consulate in Edinburgh to state council’s abhorrence at their country’s wholly unjustified actions.
The Chief Executive will also write to: the First Minister for Scotland, stating West Lothian Council support for the Scottish and Welsh Governments to work with the Secretary State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to put in place ‘super sponsor’ scheme as soon as practicably possible, subject to appropriate safeguards; and the Home Secretary, to request they urgently revise the visa scheme to process refugee applications more quickly.
