AN Argyll and Bute Councillor has left the SNP, weeks after being replaced as chair of her local area committee.
Councillor Julie McKenzie has represented the Oban North and Lorn ward since winning a by-election in February 2016, and has been re-elected at two subsequent full elections.
She will remain a councillor for the ward as an independent, and has also left her position within the authority’s administration.
The council announced at a full meeting on Wednesday, November 26 that Councillor Kieron Green (Independent, Oban North and Lorn) was the new chair of the Oban Lorn and the Isles area committee.
Councillor McKenzie has previously voted against a proposed visitor levy in Argyll and Bute, and in March, asked that her dissent was recorded against the council’s decision that Tobermory South should be the preferred site for a new Mull campus.
In a statement posted on social media on Tuesday, December 16, she said: “I want to explain directly to you, the people I represent, why I have today resigned from the Scottish National Party and the Argyll and Bute Council administration, to serve as an Independent councillor in opposition.
“In my experience dissent and open debate are not treated as a normal and necessary part of effective local government, but instead as something to be ignored, discouraged or micro-managed.
“This was particularly evident on major issues such as the budget, proposed visitor levy and decisions relating to the Mull campus – all of which have long term economic, educational and social consequences and require genuine engagement with communities.
“When the current administration was in opposition, we made clear commitments to work in a more collegiate, community-led way and to listen properly to local voices.
“I believed in and supported those commitments and signed up to them in good faith when we took control of the council. Over time, however, I no longer felt they were being honoured in practice.”
The current administration came to power in April 2024 following a cut of the cards after a deadlocked vote at a special full council meeting.
Councillor McKenzie added: “For the avoidance of doubt, I remain fully committed to Scottish independence. My decision to sit as an independent is not a rejection of that cause, but a decision to continue serving my constituents openly and honestly, without fear that speaking up for community views will be treated as disloyalty.
“I also want to thank the many SNP members, activists and colleagues who have supported me over the years. I have worked alongside many good people who care deeply about their communities, and my decision should not be taken as a reflection on them.”
