It’s not been a quiet three months since the new Moray Council was formed.
Conservative convener Marc Macrae resigned on Wednesday after only 77 days in the role.
It follows concerns raised initially by former councillor for Elgin North Frank Brown that Mr Macrae was not a “fit and proper person” to be civic head of the local authority following complaints about his behaviour.
He was to face a vote of no confidence at a meeting next week.
That motion, signed by eight SNP and two independent councillors, has been withdrawn following the resignation.
The Fochabers Lhanbryde councillor said he had taken the decision to step down to clear his name and allow the administration and the council to move forward.
Harassment
Mr Macrae hit out at Mr Brown, who stood down as Conservative councillor for Elgin North ahead of the local government elections over “continued allegations” about his behaviour.
He has contacted Police Scotland over claims he is being harassed.
Mr Macrae was voted in as convener at a meeting of the full council on May 18.
However, within days of the appointment Mr Brown said Mr Macrae was not the right person to be convener as he was not “squeaky clean” as there had been several complaints about his conduct.
At the time Mr Macrae said there had been an incident he had apologised for and he was not proud of his actions.
A Freedom of Information request submitted to the Ethical Standards Commissioner’s office revealed they received one complaint about Mr Macrae between May 2017 and spring this year, and it had been dealt with quickly.
Moray Council was asked the same question but could “neither confirm or deny” if any complaints had been made.
Other political groups and individuals in the local authority also raised their concerns with the Tories about his unsuitability for the role before he became convener.
Co-leaders of the minority Conservative administration group Neil McLennan and Kathleen Robertson backed him calling for a focus on collaboration and co-operation, with Ms Robertson saying if she became aware of anyone behaving inappropriately she would “call them out”.
Mr Macrae continues as councillor for Fochabers Lhanbryde and as chairman of the economic development and infrastructure committee.
In another twist of circumstance, Buckie councillor Mr McLennan was ousted from his role as co-leader of the Conservative group over problems with his behaviour, before the council’s summer recess.
He says he left of his own accord, and now sits as a independent.
At a meeting of the full council on June 29 Mr McLennan, seconded by Green councillor for Forres Draeyk van der Horn, put forward a motion calling for cohesive, co-operative and collaborative leadership across the council to improve the lives of the people of Moray, which was agreed.
But two days before that the Conservative group held a vote of no confidence in Mr McLennan at a meeting, which he attended, after complaints were made about his conduct.
Members unanimously decided he should stand down as co-leader of the group.
That result was repeated in a confirmation vote three days later at a meeting the Buckie councillor did not go to.
Mr McLennan is still co-leader of the local authority.
‘Poisonous place’
Following the Scottish local government elections in May, the Conservatives became the largest party in Moray with 11 councillors.
The remaining 15 seats were taken by eight SNP members, three Labour, two independents, one Green and one Liberal Democrat.
But some did not have to face a vote to take up their place in the council chambers, including Mr McLennan.
Only three candidates put themselves forward for the ballot in Buckie, and with three seats available in the multi-member ward, Liberal Democrat Christopher Price and Sonya Warren for the SNP were declared councillors along with then Conservative Mr McLennan on May 6.
At the time Mr McLennan said he was not surprised there were so few candidates in the ward as politics had become a “poisonous place”.
The first meeting of Moray Council following the summer recess will be held on August 10.
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