Sponsored by
SNP councillor Smith resigns
from party
Ewan Smith
ARBROATH West and Letham councillor Ewan Smith has quit the SNP group on Angus Council citing differences with key figures over the Arbroath Schools Project.
Councillor Smith announced his decision on Monday but says he intends to see out his remaining four year term as an independent.
As well as leaving the SNP, Councillor Smith, who was elected last May, will also relinquish his post as vice-convener of education.
It also means the SNP no longer has a majority on Angus Council with the nationalists holding 14 seats but all other parties and independents holding the remaining 15.
Explaining his decision he said: “Clearly, after just 10 months as a councillor, this is not a decision that has been taken lightly. Neither is it a knee-jerk reaction.
“It is the culmination of a series of events over the core issue I campaigned on - the Arbroath Schools Project.
“I have held in-depth conversations with close family members over the potential ramifications of my resignation from the SNP and exhausted all other viable alternatives.
“I no longer feel supported by key senior figures within the group on the Arbroath Schools Project and firmly believe there has been a clear shift in policy from the one which those members stood hand-in-hand with me on in May.”
Councillor Smith added that as vice-convener of education he believes he was not consulted on options being discussed for the Arbroath Schools Project.
He continued: “My concerns first surfaced just a few months after I was elected when it became clear that some options were being actively considered and developed by officers that I could not support.
“To do so would be a clear breach of the promise I made to voters during the election campaign.
“These options have developed to such an extent that I believe they were extensively discussed during a meeting between the convener and director of education, chief executive and director of corporate services.
“As vice-convener of education I could reasonably expect to be informed of this meeting but I was given no notice or briefing on its outcome.
“As such I have been given no opportunity to make an input into proposed reports on the Arbroath Schools Project.
He added: “I have worked extremely hard behind the scenes to try and make a real difference and to provide alternative solutions to the ones being promoted and will continue to do so as an independent councillor.
“I apologise to any SNP supporter who elected me purely on the basis of the party I represented but wish to underline that my issue is not with the party as a whole but the attitude of some of its members to this specific project.
“I will continue to serve the people of Arbroath West and Letham and will be fully accountable to them over the next four years and, hopefully, beyond.”
At the time of going to press Angus Council refused to comment on the ramifications of this resignation.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Forfar
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 23 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 11 C
Wind Speed: 25 mph
Wind direction: North west
