An Angus councillor’s claim that parochialism is a ‘cancerous’ Angus issue has been slammed as living in “cloud cuckoo land”.
Montrose SNP councillor Bill Duff made the claim as elected members wrestled with how best to bring a host of old charitable trusts under a more manageable administrative umbrella.
He said every Angus resident should be given an equal footing, but critics have said Mr Duff is missing the point of historic legacies set up to benefit communities by the people who once lived in them.
Mr Duff has stood by his view, saying: “I see a huge difference between a councillor working hard for their ward and representing their constituents and parochialism, which I’d regard as a negative trait.
He added: “On the specific issue about charitable trusts, the option I supported, which was approved by the council, will minimise the administrative burden and costs of running these trusts leaving more funds to be used to assist the needy.
“As I understand the matter, there will still be ‘town funds’ within the single Angus trust, which will be allocated according to the views of local elected members.”
Councillors voted to look at a single administrative arrangement under geographic boundaries yet to be drawn up, but the head of one of the county’s oldest charities rejected Mr Duff’s comments on ‘cancerous’ parochialism as “out of order”.
Dean of Arbroath Guildry, Ian Lamb, said: “A consolidation of many of the smaller trusts set up probably makes good sense, especially when the historical reason for setting them up has either changed or disappeared.
“However, there’s no question any consolidation should be done other than on a burgh by burgh basis.
“All burghs are individual and many of these trusts have been set up by benefactors from those towns to benefit their local community in years to come.
“As local government has evolved from the former town councils, Angus Council has been entrusted with the role of administering these trusts as their founders would have wished.
“Keeping them in the burgh in which they were established is not being parochial. It’s a case of maintaining each town’s heritage. Councillor Bill Duff’s remarks about the ‘cancer’ of parochialism is totally out of order in this context.”
Arbroath independent councillor Bob Spink said Mr Duff was living in “cloud cuckoo land.”
“The Angus towns have been in competition for as long as I can remember,” he said.