A senior Moray councillor has accused SNP members of a lack of communication over last week’s budget proposals.
Labour member for Elgin South John Divers also took aim at some councillors for wasting time by asking unnecessary questions in committee when answers were already included in papers.
His comment came during the full council meeting on Wednesday.
SNP co-leader Graham Leadbitter accused Labour of entering an “unofficial coalition” with the ruling Conservative group over last week’s budget.
At that meeting, the administration’s budget – including amendments put forward by Labour – was passed by 15 votes to 10, against the SNP’s proposal.
Mr Divers said: “We put our amendment out on the Monday morning.
“The only group to approach us was the Conservative group.
“The Conservative group and the SNP group met for two hours.
“Councillor Sandy Keith and myself sat in our office expecting the SNP to come and speak to us about the amendments.
‘Unofficial coalition’
“All I can say – no show.
“How can we then form an agreement with anybody who doesn’t even bother to come and speak to us on any items?
“If the SNP want their budgets to get through, they need to come and speak to opposition groups.”
Mr Leadbitter said the group had shared their budget proposals the week before the meeting.
SNP ‘no show’ claim
He added: “I did have a conversation with Labour group members about the content of that, and the offer was there to meet.”
During discussions on the corporate overview of the council’s priorities, issues were raised over the suggestion “political discourse” along with an increase in the number of notices of motion, points of order and deferrals were having an effect on achieving targets.
Forres SNP councillor Scott Lawrence said: “Political discourse in committee is a reflection of the democratic outcome of the position we find ourselves in.”
He added issues were as much to do with new members finding their way round council working practices as they did with the political make up in the chamber.
And as the SNP group had “limited levers” to get their points across, raising a notice of motion was one way to do that.
Elgin North councillor Jeremie Fernandes felt the increased number of questions was a result of elected members “doing their job”.
He said: “It’s been alluded by other members in previous meetings, the current council is probably more diligent doing their job than the previous one.”
Political discourse
He did accept that some councillors spoke too much but there were standing orders to deal with that.
However, Mr Divers accused some SNP members of not reading their papers before meetings.
He said: “I think that finger can be pointed at their own group because they are the ones who are continuing to ask questions on pieces that are in the papers already.
“They don’t need to be asked again.
“The reason we get our papers a week before is so questions can be asked of officers so time’s not being wasted.
“I’m all for scrutiny, but totally against time wasting.
“I believe certain councillors are wasting councillors’ time and their wasting officers’ time.”
Conversation