Angus Council’s administration leader has waded into a row over the decision to stage a spending constraints conference at a luxury Fife hotel.
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) gathering at Fairmont St Andrews enters its second and final day today, but there has been a patchy attendance from councils in Tayside and Fife.
The event has come under fire from the Angus Alliance’s Bob Myles, who said the Cosla gathering was an ”overpriced” get-together, and criticised SNP opposition figures on the rural authority for spending on the conference ticket.
The council’s nationalist group leader responded by accusing Mr Myles of ”burying his head in the Angus sand” on the wider issue of how local government can be better run.
Mr Myles told The Courier: ”The title of the conference is ‘Great Expectations’, but unfortunately we felt that the programme doesn’t live up to expectations.
”In these times of austerity we have to look at ways of saving money, and we felt that it is way overpriced for what you are getting a buffet and the chance to listen to the First Minister.”
Former Angus SNP group leader and Monifieth councillor Rob Murray is now vice-president of Cosla and will be at the venue for the duration of the conference, while current opposition leader Helen Oswald is only attending the Friday proceedings.
Mr Myles added: ”The SNP are going, but I cannot see what we are getting for £180 a day apart from a buffet lunch and an address by Alex Salmond. We discussed it as an Alliance group and took the decision that neither (corporate services convener) Mark Salmond or myself would be attending. The chief executive is also not going, and that was his decision.
”I attended, and paid for myself, the NFU conference at the same venue and for £70 got you bed and breakfast with meals, so I think this conference is overpriced by comparison. Ultimately it is coming out of the council coffers because you get expenses as a delegate.”
Mrs Oswald said: ”I looked at the agenda and decided that day two was sufficient from my needs in as much as we will be hearing from speakers looking at how local government could deliver differently.
”The speakers Willie Rennie, Alex Johnstone, Johann Lamont and the First Minister represent all the main political parties and if we are looking to go forward in local government then I think it is important that we hear what people in government are saying.
”I am the leader of the biggest political group on Angus Council and I felt that there was a justification for my attendance on the second day of this event. I did not attend last year but I think things have moved on and we must take cognisance of where we are.
”We cannot bury our heads in the Angus sand and not listen to what others have to say,” said Mrs Oswald.
Mr Murray has already defended his attendance at the gathering on the basis of his prominent position on Cosla.
Dundee and Fife councils have not sent anyone to the event, while Perth and Kinross is represented by the authority’s two top officials, their chief and depute chief executive, at a cost of nearly £800.