By Bruce Robbins

FRASER MACPHERSON (pictured), the Dundee councillor whose election as finance convener has caused cross-party friction in the City Chambers, should have resigned from the council after being discredited at a court case, former Labour administration leader Kate Maclean said last night.

Mrs Maclean, the MSP for Dundee West, stopped short of calling on the Tay Bridges councillor to resign and said that, because she was unaware of the nature of the discussion surrounding his nomination for the top committee job, she could not comment on his suitability.

However, she made it clear the convenership would never have emerged as an issue had Mr Macpherson resigned after being publicly criticised by a sheriff.

Mrs Maclean’s disapproval of Mr Macpherson continuing as a councillor means three of the city’s parliamentary representatives have now come out against him.

Dundee East MSP Shona Robison and MP Stewart Hosie have already said the issue of Mr Macpherson’s convenership is damaging the city’s image.

Dundee West MP Jim McGovern has yet to give his opinion. He was unavailable for comment yesterday.

Mr Macpherson had been the council’s education convener until he resigned last year after his involvement in a court case in which he accused a man of assaulting and robbing him.

The man was convicted of stealing his wallet but Mr Macpherson did not emerge from the proceedings unscathed. He admitted having lied to police and trying to get the charges dropped. The sheriff described him as an “utterly unconvincing witness”.

Mr Macpherson was voted into the finance post at a meeting of the committee on Monday with the support of Labour, Lib Dem and Tory councillors. The SNP put up their own candidate and, although supported by independent Labour man Ian Borthwick, he was unsuccessful.

The opposition councillors claimed Mr Macpherson was nominated for the job only because he had threatened to withdraw his support and that of his group’s other councillor Helen Dick from the Labour- Lib Dem coalition. That would have left Labour with insufficient support to sustain an administration.

His choice as finance convener may be the subject of an investigation by the Standards Commission for Scotland after SNP councillors said they wanted the matter looked into.

Mrs Maclean said the proper thing for Mr Macpherson to do would have been to resign from the council after the court case. She said, “My opinion at the time was that he should not have continued as a councillor based on what was reportedly said by the sheriff, and I still hold that opinion.

“I fully accept the fact that he hasn’t been charged or convicted of any crime but if you hold public office then public perception is very important.

“I had heard that he was keen to hold a convenership again but it’s difficult for me to comment on that. I had the luxury of a big majority as leader of the council and I can’t give an opinion on what I would have done under the circumstances that the Labour group faced.”

Mrs Maclean’s comments are certain to increase pressure on Mr Macpherson following earlier criticism of the councillor and his position as finance convener.

Ms Robison and Mr Hosie said the Labour-Lib Dem administration’s decision to nominate Mr Macpherson smacked of “desperation”.

Ms Robison said, “This is not good for the image and reputation of the city. The Labour administration should start putting the interests of the city ahead of their own narrow political advantage.

“I think the Labour administration is now in danger of becoming a laughing stock— not just across the nation but within their own party. There have been a few eyebrows raised in the Scottish Parliament from people in the Labour Party.

“It is very disappointing that the Labour Party is so desperate to cling on to power in Dundee that they will do a deal with absolutely anyone.”

Mr Hosie also questioned the choice of Mr Macpherson for the finance convenership, asking, “Is this a fit and proper man to be in charge of the city’s finances?

“It shows the degree of desperation on the part of the Labour Party that they will do anything and appoint anyone to the position to stay in power.

“There were alternatives to Mr Macpherson put forward.”

Tory councillors, whose decision to vote for Mr Macpherson ensured he won the convenership, vigorously defended their position yesterday.

Councillors Neil Powrie and Rod Wallace said they had entered into a coalition agreement two years ago with Labour and the Lib Dems. They were faced with the choice of Mr Macpherson or the SNP’s candidate Joe FitzPatrick for the finance post and voted in favour of “maintaining a stable administration.”

Mr Powrie said they felt it was incumbent upon them to fulfil the agreement with the administration which they said had worked to the benefit of the city.

He added, “Out of all the members of the council, the one person most highly qualified to do the job of finance convener, through his job with the Institute of Revenues, Rating and Valuation, is Fraser Macpherson. He hasn’t been charged with anything or found guilty of anything...It’s for his own conscience or the electorate to judge, if any judgment is to be made.”

Mr Wallace said it would become increasingly necessary for parties to work together with a new voting system to be used at the next council elections in two years’ time.

Mr Macpherson could not be contacted for comment yesterday.