Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

In terms of Section 1.3 of the Committee Remit and in accordance with Section 50B(4)(b) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the Committee was informed that it had to determine (1) that the item on the agenda was of an urgent nature; and (2) that the Committee required to consider the item and take a decision thereon.

The Committee resolved:-

to agree that the notice of motion was of an urgent nature and required to be considered this day to enable the Committee to consider the matter at the earliest available opportunity and take decisions thereon.

There were no declarations of interest.

The Committee had before it a joint notice of motion by Councillors Boulton, Laing and Lumsden in the following terms:-

            “That the Committee -

(1)      note that Councillor Donnelly was convicted on 13 December 2019 and is due to be sentenced at the end of January 2020;

(2)      note that Councillor Donnelly has resigned from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party;

(3)      note that Councillor Donnelly is no longer a member of the administration;

(4)      call upon Councillor Donnelly to resign as a Councillor of Aberdeen City Council;

(5)      instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to bring proposals to Full Council on 2 March 2020 to consider the re-allocation of committee places and outside bodies following Councillor Donnelly’s resignation from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; and

(6)      instruct the Chief Officer - Governance, as part of the proposals referred to in (5) above, to also seek proposals for the removal and/or appointment of:

a.         Lord Provost;

b.         Depute Provost;

c.         Leader or Co-Leaders;

d.         Depute Leader;

e.         Business Manager;

f.          Depute Business Manager; and

g.         Conveners and Vice-Conveners.”

The Committee resolved:-

(i)           to note that Councillor Donnelly was convicted on 13 December 2019 and is due to be sentenced at the end of January 2020;

(ii)          to note that Councillor Donnelly has resigned from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party;

(iii)         to note that Councillor Donnelly is no longer a member of the administration;

(iv)         to call upon Councillor Donnelly to resign as a Councillor of Aberdeen City Council and instruct the Chief Executive to inform him of the decision of Council;

(v)          to instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to bring proposals to Full Council on 2 March 2020 to consider the re-allocation of committee places and outside bodies following Councillor Donnelly’s resignation from the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party;

(vi)         to instruct the Chief Officer - Governance, as part of the proposals referred to in (v) above, to also seek proposals for the removal and/or appointment of:

(a)      Lord Provost;

(b)      Depute Provost;

(c)       Leader or Co-Leaders;

(d)      Depute Leader;

(e)      Business Manager;

(f)        Depute Business Manager; and

(g)      Convener and Vice-Conveners;

(vii)       to agree to remove Councillor Donnelly from all outside bodies where he has been appointed as a named member and that replacement appointments be made in line with point (v) above;

(viii)      to agree, should Councillor Donnelly resign as a Councillor by 6 January 2020, to instruct the Chief Officer - Governance to bring proposals to a special meeting of Full Council immediately following the outcome of the by-election, on a date to be agreed by the Lord Provost, to consider the re-allocation of committee places and outside bodies, should the political composition have changed; and

(ix)         to agree that Councillor Donnelly be referred to the Ethical Standards Commissioner and instruct the Chief Executive to make the referral.

- JENNIFER LAING, Convener.