Councillor considers stepping down amid council conflict
Councillor Andrew Wood suspended for 30 days following conduct investigation
A long-serving councillor is preparing to stand down after nearly 20 years of serving the community in protest at how Dumfries and Galloway Council is being run.
Mid and Upper Nithsdale Councillor Andrew Wood was hit with a one-month suspension this week following an investigation into his conduct.
He had been involved in a row with Dumfries and Galloway Council’s chief executive Dawn Roberts, who accused him of bullying and harassment.
At a hearing on Tuesday, held at the Municipal Chambers in Dumfries, a panel cleared Councillor Wood of the bullying and harassment allegations.
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However, his actions were found to have been “disrespectful” to someone with “no public right of reply”, and he was hit with the 30-day sanction.
Yesterday, the outspoken councillor stood firm on the comments he made, but admitted: “I could have been more eloquent in how I presented my opinion to the public.”
He insisted he will always speak up on important matters on behalf of his constituents, but added: “If the current chief executive is still in place next year, then I will struggle to find it in me to stand again for re-election in the May elections.
“The power of councillors has now been eroded to such a degree that they have no real say in matters of the council. Senior officers are in control when it should be the other way around.
“I had no problem going through the hearing because it highlighted that if you get caught up with a senior officer reporting you, then that senior officer has governance behind them, and will have the commissioner fighting on their behalf.
“But as a councillor, you are on your own and have no real chance of winning in these cases – unless you are a trained lawyer or can afford to have a legal expert representing you.”
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At the hearing, Councillor Wood admitted he knew he was breaching the code of conduct but said he felt he had no choice.
He told the panel: “There comes a point whereby you just have to get the truth out to your constituents.”
The row was sparked by Councillor Wood criticising the council chief executive in a newspaper column in August last year.
He was angry that council chief executive Dawn Roberts used her powers to sanction the investment of £2.66m on 12 new buses in the aftermath of Stagecoach leaving the region and gaps in services.
The chief executive responded by informing Councillor Wood she had reported him to the standards watchdog – just as she did with Annandale South Councillor Ian Carruthers too, accusing him of bullying.
The council chief told the hearing she had acted quickly and within established procedures to avoid a “significant service failure” after Stagecoach withdrew from the region at short notice.
She said Councillor Wood’s comments had left her feeling “disappointed, frustrated and undermined,” adding they had affected her confidence and had been “very demoralising” for both herself and other staff.
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She argued Wood’s concerns could have been raised “in private and via the proper channels.”
Angela Glen, representing the Ethical Standards Commissioner at Councillor Wood’s hearing, rejected claims the process was being used to silence councillors, telling the panel: “The framework is not designed to preclude proper scrutiny of performance.”
A separate investigation into complaints against Councillor Carruthers remains ongoing.
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