PUBLIC spats, heated exchanges and formal complaints have marked a turbulent two weeks for local politics in Argyll and Bute.
Much of the recent fallout stems from last month’s council budget meeting on Wednesday, February 25, where councillors approved a financial plan for 2026/27 which included a 9.7 per cent increase in council tax.
However, tensions had already begun to surface even before councillors gathered to debate the budget as a war of words broke out between former Dunoon ward councillor Michael Breslin and the council’s policy lead for finance, Ross Moreland (Dunoon ward, LibDem).
As reported in this newspaper last month (Friday, February 13), the row centred on pay rises for senior council staff as the local authority prepared to set its budget.
Mr Breslin sent out an open letter to every local councillor warning them that their decision to issue what he termed as undeserved pay rises to senior council staff could result in a voter backlash.
He singled out councillor Moreland, saying the finance lead might as well be renamed as policy lead for maintenance of the gravy train, and councillor Moreland responded, describing Mr Breslin’s opinion as irrelevant and called into question his history as a councillor.
Following their exchange, Mr Breslin has now reported councillor Moreland to the Ethical Standards Commissioner.
He explained: It was very disappointing to see one of my local ward councillors, councillor Moreland, ignore the well-researched financial options I gave him and his councillor colleagues. These options saved up to 1.5m without having any effects whatsoever on council services. Instead, he chose to attack me publicly and gave the Dunoon Observer factually incorrect information which I consider defamatory. I gave councillor Moreland two opportunities to give a public apology, which he refused to do. I have now submitted a complaint to the Ethical Standards Commissioner and will say no more about this matter.
Further controversy followed on the day of the council’s crunch budget meeting, during which a public row erupted between the council’s Depute Provost Jan Brown (SNP, Mid Argyll) and councillor Tommy MacPherson (Independent, South Kintyre).
Comments made about councillor MacPherson by the Depute Provost, during a private conversation with chief executive Pippa Milne, were apparently picked up on a live microphone and heard by members in the council chambers.
This led to various points of order from other councillors and a heated exchange between the Depute Provost, who admitted to making the comments, and councillor MacPherson.
A complaint has now been made to the Ethical Standards Commissioner and Scottish Public Services Ombudsman, and councillor MacPherson has also called for the role of chief executive Pippa Milne in the reported conversation to be clarified.
An Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: We understand that councillor MacPherson has, as is his right, referred this matter to the Ethical Standards Commissioner and the Ombudsman, and the council stands ready to work with them to address this.
This was all before a budget, which raised council tax by 9.7 per cent, was debated and ultimately approved.
Political tensions continued into the following week when Dunoon ward councillor Daniel Hampsey, who recently defected from the Conservatives to Reform UK during a nationally televised press conference, resigned as chair of the Cowal Transport Forum (CTF).
The CTF brings together councillors, transport operators, community representatives and other partners to discuss transport issues affecting the area, including ferry services, bus provision and infrastructure.
The resignation prompted concern from three local community councils; Dunoon, South Cowal and Strachur, who advocated for Hampsey’s immediate reinstatement as chair.
In a statement to community councillors, Councillor Hampsey said: I appreciate the support shown by the community councils. If the decision had been mine alone, I would have continued to serve as chair of the Cowal Transport Forum. However, following my change in political affiliation, I was advised that I would be required to step down from the role. In order to avoid prolonging the process or forcing a formal vote of councillors to remove me, I agreed to resign.
The issue led to an exchange of emails between councillors and community council representatives, during which a number of allegations were raised. One community councillor went so far as to threaten to publish a list of Argyll and Bute councillors who were allegedly in arrears for unpaid council tax.
Councillor Hampsey’s resignation was later discussed at a meeting of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee (BCAC).
Following that meeting, Dunoon Community Council (DCC) secretary Tom McCowan lodged a formal complaint regarding how the committee had handled the matter.
He claimed concerns submitted by DCC ahead of the meeting were not addressed.
In his complaint he stated: The fact that you (BCAC) and your colleagues completely dismissed the concerns raised by the community councils was unfair, unwarranted and unprofessional.
Meanwhile, South Cowal Community Council (SCCC) has lodged a motion of no confidence in the councillors present at the meeting.
The motion, proposed by its secretary Michael Breslin, stated: South Cowal Community Council (SCCC) is appalled at the way in which the appeals from our own community council, Dunoon Community Council and Strachur Community Council were ignored on March 3 by the Bute and Cowal Area Committee.
To support and add to the subsequent complaint to the area committee made on behalf of Dunoon Community Council, South Cowal Community Council regrets that it no longer has confidence in councillors Ross Moreland, Gordon Blair, William Sinclair and Reeni Kennedy-Boyle.
As a result of these recent disputes, two councillors have now been reported to the Ethical Standards Commissioner, a formal complaint has been submitted by Dunoon Community Council regarding the conduct of the Bute and Cowal Area Committee, a motion of no confidence in four councillors has been tabled by South Cowal Community Council, and the Cowal Transport Forum currently remains without a chair.
The developments mark one of the most contentious periods in recent months for local politics across Argyll and Bute.
