New Council Administration Takes Control

Following a meeting of Full Council  on Tuesday 1 October, a new Administration for Dumfries and Galloway Council was agreed. Labour and SNP councillors will now form an Administration of 24 members for Dumfries and Galloway Council.

The new Council Leader is Councillor Ronnie Nicholson and Councillor Brian Collins will be the Depute Leader.

Following the decision to form a new Administration, the new appointment of Chairs and Vice Chairs of the various council committees was also confirmed. The new Chairs and Vice Chairs are:

 

Service Committee Audit and Risk: Chair Alistair Geddes (SNP)

Vice Chair: Archie Dryburgh (Lab)

DG First Management: Stephen Thompson (SNP)

Vice chair: John Martin (Lab)

Education chair: Jeff Leaver (Lab)

Vice chair: Rob Davidson (SNP)

Planning Applications chair:Jim Dempster (Lab)

vice chair: Iain Dick (SNP)

Planning, Housing and Environment Services chair: Colin Smyth (Lab)

Vice chair: Jim McClung (SNP)

Policy and Resources chair: Ronnie Nicholson (Leader)

vice chair: Brian Collins (Depute Leader)

Social Work Services chair: Andy Ferguson (SNP)

vice chair: Ted Thompson (Lab)

Scrutiny and Performance chair: Ivor Hyslop (Conservative)

vice chair: Independent – TBC

 

Councillor David McKie is now the provost of Dumfries and Nithsdale.

 

At the Council meeting, the Priorities and Commitments were tabled by the Administration and approved by our Council. The Council’s Priorities are now:

 

We will provide a good start in life for all our children

We will prepare our young people for adulthood and employment

We will care for our older and vulnerable people

We will support and stimulate our local economy

We will maintain the safety and security of our region

We will protect and sustain our environment

We will improve the way our council works

 

Speaking at the meeting of full council, Council Leader Ronnie Nicholson said:

 

“Taking on the role of Council Leader is a great honour but with it comes great responsibility.

 

Although a Labour led council is something I have always strived for, the post of Council Leader is not. I have accepted the position in order to deliver a Labour-led administration and with it, the priorities of the many people who put their trust in Labour last May.

 

Our council faces a huge number of challenges. Our local economy is in deeply perilous place with unemployment consistently above the national average and we now have the unenviable record of the lowest paid region in Scotland. With this mind, I pledge that the Council I lead will make building our local economy our number one priority.

 

Over the next two years, our council faces the need to make nearly £30 million in savings. The days of trimming at the edges of budgets have gone and our local communities face the prospect that many of their services they have come to expect, will simply not be there in the future. However, in making those tough budget decisions, I will be guided by a personal commitment to protect the least well off and the most vulnerable citizens in our communities.

 

No one has a monopoly on good ideas. In the past, it has been a source of frustration that good ideas have being ignored because of who they came from. This will not be the case under my leadership. This will be an inclusive council in which all members will be invited to bring their ideas to the table and we will listen to them.

 

However, it is not just the views of councilors that are important. It is important that the views of the local communities we represent are at the heart of the decisions this council makes. Councillors should never lose sight of the fact that it is the people we represent in our wards that put us in the positions of responsibility we all find ourselves in.

 

I also wish to place on record my sincere thanks to Ivor Hyslop for his time as Leader. Whilst we had political differences, no one can doubt the immense commitment he brought to the role of Council leader over the past six years. I hope that in this post I can show the same level of dedication to the people of Dumfries and Galloway that Ivor has shown.”

 

Following the meeting Depute Leader Brian Collins said,

 

“I am pleased that we have established a new Administration to take forward the business of Dumfries & Galloway Council, in partnership with our colleagues in the Labour Group.

 

I pay tribute to Ivor Hyslop for the way in which he has led Dumfries & Galloway Council, and to his Conservative colleagues, with whom we worked closely over the past 16 months.

 

I look forward to working with our Labour colleagues in a constructive and positive way. We have established a great deal of common ground and, whilst I know that there are many significant challenges ahead, I also believe we are well equipped to deal with them.

 

The interests of the residents of Dumfries & Galloway have always been at the heart of our decision making and that will continue to be our guiding principle.”