By Eric Nicolson

COMMENTS MADE by a Perth councillor on the issue of domestic abuse in Perth and Kinross, and her subsequent refusal to apologise for them, have led to her being reported to the Standards Commission for Scotland for bringing the local authority into disrepute.

In January Margo Lennie claimed that not enough is being done locally to prevent such abuse.

She hit out after a report to the community safety committee revealed that a plan to tackle the issue had not yet been fully implemented in Perth and Kinross—nearly five years after the Scottish Executive published a strategy for local authorities.

“I am extremely disappointed with the contents of this report,” the Labour councillor said at the time.

“In 2000 the Scottish Executive published its strategy and yet Perth and Kinross is still on the starting blocks. We have still not managed to get running and are not taking this as seriously as we should be.

“It is four years since the Executive came up with the strategy document and we are still only talking about guidelines. we need to get a grip of this. It has taken far, far too long to get moving.”

She also said Perth and Kinross had the poorest record in Scotland as far as acting on domestic abuse was concerned, and it was for making this claim that community safety convener Councillor Alistair Barr said at yesterday’s committee meeting that Mrs Lennie would be reported to the Standards Commission.

He commented, “This issue should not be a political football and we will never make it one. These claims were thought to bring the council into disrepute and there is no doubt that the remarks are not true.

“I’m sorry an apology was not offered to committee and I don’t think there is any other option but to report this to the Standards Commission.”

Claims that Perth and Kinross were at the bottom of the league with regard to domestic abuse were fabricated and misleading, he said, and have been shown to be such by independent checks.

An unrepentant Ms Lennie hit back, “The Standards Commission will have to investigate where Perth and Kinross is regarding domestic abuse, and I welcome that. I have the right to sit here in this chamber and express an opinion about any report that comes to this council. If we can’t do that it makes a mockery of this council.

“I will continue to lobby and speak out when I feel it is necessary.

“If that’s what I’m being reported to the Standards Commission for, then so be it.”

The commission exists to ensure that standards of ethical conduct are maintained across local authorities and public bodies and to deal with complaints of misconduct against individual members.

The previous convener of the committee, Councillor Alexander Stewart, attacked Mr Barr for “diluting the serious social issue” of domestic abuse by bringing politics into community safety.

He said, “I’m flabbergasted that this has happened. A lot of good work is being done regarding domestic abuse and we’re going to lose sight of that because of a political spat. Domestic abuse is a bigger issue than that.

“If Margo Lennie made these comments six weeks ago that was the time to challenge them, not six weeks later in the public domain. There is a time, a place and a protocol and these have all been flung out of the window. It beggars belief Councillor Barr could be so short-sighted and I feel very strongly about this.”

At yesterday’s meeting councillors unanimously endorsed a report which outlined the council’s roles and responsibilities in tackling domestic abuse, noting in particular its contribution to the Perth and Kinross Domestic Abuse Forum.