Interesting 'Bomb Pattern'

I visited the web site of the Improvement Service (IS) a few weeks ago.

The Improvement Service is an unelected public body - set up by COSLA and the Scottish government some years ago - with the aim of helping local councils to improve local services - by adopting best practice and becoming more efficient.

Interestingly the membership of the IS board is shown as follows: 
  • Pat Watters, Chair, COSLA
  • Rory Mair, COSLA
  • Colin Mair, Improvement Service
  • Gavin Whitefield, SOLACE
  • Mary Pitcaithly, SOLACE
  • Bernadette Malone, SOLACE
  • Tina Yule, SOLACE
  • Robert Murray, COSLA
  • David O'Neil, COSLA

  • Colin Mair is the chief executive of the Improvement Service - brother of Rory Mair, chief executive of COSLA.
  • SOLACE stands for the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives - and as far as I know the named representatives on the IS board are all serving council chief executives.
  • Pat Watters is President of COSLA and is a senior Labour councillor in South Lanarkshire Council.
  • David O'Neil is a senior Labour councillor from North Ayrshire Council.
  • Rob Murray is a COSLA Vice President and is a senior SNP councillor from Angus Council.  
So I make that: 6 chief executives, 2 brothers, 2 Labour councillors and 1 SNP councillor.

Interesting 'bomb pattern' - for an unelected public body - as a character in Joseph Heller's Catch 22 might have said.

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