Splendid Isolation


I'm pleased to report that the lumbering Labour Group in South Lanarkshire Council is now in splendid isolation - over its ridiculous behaviour and refusal to respond to my Freedom of Information (FOI) request about the pay scales of traditional male jobs.

Because South Lanarkshire's SNP Group has now called upon the ruling Labour administration to abandon its appeal to the UK Supreme Court - which would require the Council to publish the information that I requested originally back in 2010.

South Lanarkshire Council has previously refused to accept a ruling from the independent Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) that this information should be published - in the public interest.

The Council appealed the SIC ruling to the Court of Session, Scotland's highest civil court, where three senior judges unanimously backed the SIC adjudication, and dismissed the Council's arguments out of hand - and agreed the information should be published.

Still not satisfied, the Council appealed against the unanimous Court of Session ruling and - as things stand - the case is now going before the UK Supreme Court on 8 July 2013.

What a carry on - and from a Labour run Council as well which claims, without a hint of irony, to  support openness and transparency. Complete baloney - if you ask me.

But now, in a major new development, the SNP Group leader - Anne Maggs - has written to the Council's chief executive, Lindsay Freeland, and is calling on South Lanarkshire Council to accede to the FOI request.

The letter from Anne Maggs states:

"In our opinion this will not breach Data Protection nor, given the large number of employees involved, allow identification of individual employees.

Further, given the need for the Council to make savings and out wish to protect frontline services, we feel the amount of expenditure required to take this matter to the Supreme Court is not justified."

Exactly - especially as the Council is going to lose and get banged up for even more costs.

So, if you want my considered opinion, I would hold the senior Labour councillors involved in making these foolish decisions - personally responsible for wasting all this public money.

Now that would certainly 'tober' them up a bit - a good old Scots word for teaching someone a lesson - or putting their gas at a peep. 

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