Political Management Arrangements
Argyll and Bute Council · 27 June 2024
Back to Argyll and Bute Council — 27 June 2024 and its agenda
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ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL COUNCIL LEGAL AND REGULATORY SUPPORT 27th June 2024 POLITICAL MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Councillor Robin Currie, who represented Ward 2, Kintyre and the Islands, very sadly passed away on Thursday 9th May 2024. His passing results in a number of vacant positions within the Council, on its committees, and on various external organisations to which Councillor Currie was appointed by the Council. 1.2 Separately, there is currently a vacancy for one Council representative on the board of West Highland Housing Association and Council is invited to consider making an appointment in this regard. 1.3 Councillor Ross Moreland has confirmed to the Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support that he has been elected as Leader of the Council’s Liberal Democrat Group. This is reflected in the updated Political Composition of the Council attached at Appendix 1. 1.4 The Council is asked to give consideration to the vacancies arising in these circumstances and which are set out in the report below, and to note the updated Political Composition of the Council. 2. RECOMMENDATIONS 2.1 The Council is invited to consider what action it wishes to take in light of the vacancies on Council committees and external organisations arising from the sad passing of Councillor Robin Currie. A full list of these appointments is set out at paragraphs 3.1 to 3.3. 2.2 The Council is invited to appoint a representative to the West Highland Housing Association Board. 2.3 The Council is asked to note the updated Political Composition of the Council attached at Appendix 1.
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3. DETAIL 3.1 Council Roles: Councillor Robin Currie was appointed to the following Council roles when the Council met on 25th April 2024: a) Depute Leader of the Council b) Policy Lead for Economic Development, Islands and Rural Communities, Housing 3.2 Committee Vacancies: As a result of Councillor Currie’s sad passing, there are now vacancies on the Council committees noted below: a) Argyll Islands Sounding Board – Vice Chair b) Environment, Development and Infrastructure Committee – Vice Chair c) Employee Joint Consultative Committee – Member d) Policy and Resources Committee –Member Councillor Currie was also a member of the Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands Area Committee and any councillor subsequently elected would automatically become a member of that committee. 3.3 Appointments to External Organisations: Councillor Currie had been appointed as a Council representative to the following external organisations: a) COSLA Community Wellbeing Board b) COSLA Scottish Joint Council for Local Government Employees c) A83 Taskforce d) Argyll and Bute Renewables Alliance e) Clyde, Kintyre and the Islands Ferry Stakeholders Group f) Ionad Chaluim Chille Ìle (ICCI) – The Gaelic Centre, Islay g) SOILLSE National Network for Gaelic Research Consultative Committee 3.4 West Highland Housing Association Board: West Highland Housing Association serves communities in the Oban, Lorn and the Isles (OLI) and Mid Argyll, Kintyre and the Islands (MAKI) areas. There is currently a vacancy for one Council representative on the Association’s Board. Given the Association’s areas of operation, Council is invited to appoint a representative from either the OLI or MAKI areas. 3.5 Political Composition of the Council: The updated Political Composition of the Council is provided at Appendix 1 and sets out political group membership and leadership.
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4. CONCLUSION 4.1 This report sets out the vacancies both within the council and with external organisations following the sad passing of Councillor Robin Currie, and invites Council to consider what action it may wish to take in this regard. It also provides the updated Political Composition of the Council. 5. IMPLICATIONS 5.1 Policy – Appointments to external organisations are in keeping with the Council’s commitment to working in partnership with other agencies to benefit the people and communities of Argyll and Bute. 5.2 Financial – The Council may incur costs relating to elected members’ participation in some meetings, except where an external organisation may have its own allowances scheme. 5.3 Legal – None 5.4 HR – None 5.5 Fairer Scotland Duty - None 5.5.1 Equalities - protected characteristics – None 5.5.2 Socio-Economic Duty - None 5.5.3 Islands - None 5.6 Climate Change - None 5.7 Risk – None 5.8 Customer Service – None 5.9 The Rights of the Child (UNCRC) – None Douglas Hendry Executive Director with responsibility for Legal and Regulatory Support 22nd May 2024 For further information please contact Shona Barton on 01436 657605 or by email on shona.barton@argyll-bute.gov.uk
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Appendix 1 - Political Composition of Argyll and Bute Council Argyll and Bute Council - Political Composition ARGYLL FIRST (2) Douglas Philand (Ind) (Leader of Argyll First) * Jennifer Kelly INDEPENDENT (3) Mark Irvine * Andrew Kain Kieron Green * INDEPENDENT CONSERVATIVE AND UNIONIST (1) Tommy Macpherson SCOTTISH GREEN PARTY (1) Luna Martin* SCOTTISH LABOUR PARTY (1) Fiona Howard * SCOTTISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS (4) Ross Moreland * (Leader of Scottish Liberal Democrat Group) Graham Hardie * Paul Donald Kennedy * William Sinclair * SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (12) John Armour * Gordon Blair * Jan Brown * Math Campbell-Sturgess *
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Audrey E Forrest (Depute Leader, SNP Group) * Willie Hume * Reeni Kennedy Boyle * Jim Lynch (Leader of the SNP Group) * Ian James MacQuire * Dougie McFadzean * Julie McKenzie* Iain Shonny Paterson * * Member of the Administration Partnership The Argyll, Lomond and the Isles Group (TALIG) (11) Garret Corner (Con) Maurice Corry (Con) Amanda Hampsey (Con) Daniel Hampsey (Con) Liz McCabe (Ind) Yvonne McNeilly (Con) Gary Mulvaney (Con) (Leader, TALIG) Gemma Penfold (Con) Alastair Redman (Ind) Andrew Vennard (Con) Peter Wallace (Con) 1 Vacancy – Ward 2 Kintyre and the Islands Note: Con - Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Ind - Independent