Moray Council Leader Apologizes for Library Closure Communication Errors

Kathleen Robertson, the leader of Moray Council, offered an apology, becoming emotional, for errors related to proposals to close seven libraries. A special session of the local governing body was convened following an inaccurate press release from the Scottish Conservatives, which stated that the plan to shut the libraries had been abandoned. The press release was revised three hours post-publication to clarify that the closure proposals remained under consideration, though Conservative councillors would not endorse them. Councillor Robertson stated she was “deeply sorry” regarding the inconsistent communications and committed to pursuing additional training concerning the council’s Code of Conduct. The Scottish Conservatives occupy nine of the 26 positions on Moray Council, necessitating backing from other political groups to secure votes. The initial press release from the Tories “unintentionally” conveyed the impression that the decision to discontinue the library closures had been made by the entire council. The extraordinary meeting took place after Scott Lawrence, the SNP group leader, submitted a Notice of Motion articulating a lack of confidence in the administration’s management of the situation. Councillor Lawrence refuted allegations that the submission of this motion was driven by party politics. He affirmed: “It was deliberately depoliticised and deliberately focused around the procedures and the ways of working we have in this council.” During the council meeting, Councillor Robertson stated: “For me personally, I am deeply sorry that my trust with election members, staff and the public have been eroded.” She conveyed her hope that the administration’s past performance would not be “marred indefinitely” by this event, subsequently becoming tearful. The session was then paused for a short duration. Moray Council has identified seven of its eleven libraries for potential closure, aiming to achieve savings of £275,000. These include Burghead, Cullen, Dufftown, Keith, Lossiemouth, Fochabers, and Tomintoul. Councillors are scheduled to render a final decision early next year, following their review of the outcomes from a recently concluded public consultation. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.