Provost saves embattled MacLaren from vote of no confidence

Published on Friday 17 October 2008 10:33

UNDER-FIRE education leader Marilyne MacLaren has survived attempts to force her to stand down – after being saved by Lord Provost George Grubb.

An attempt by Labour councillors to force a vote calling for her to go was ruled "incompetent" by the Lib Dem Lord Provost, but Councillor MacLaren still faces intense pressure over the coming weeks.

Today, she was due to be interviewed by the chief investigative officer from Scotland's ethical standards watchdog.

And council leader Jenny Dawe has admitted for the first time that Cllr MacLaren made a "mistake" when she both falsely accused parent Lynda Flex of leaking information on four proposed school closures to the Evening News, and subsequently banned her from an education forum.

An internal council investigation found the education leader broke the councillors' code of conduct, and if the Standards Commission comes to the same conclusion, Cllr MacLaren could face censure, suspension or a ban.

At yesterday's meeting of the full council, Labour tabled a motion calling for Cllr MacLaren to stand down until the findings of that investigation were known, because of the "damage to the reputation" of the council.

But Cllr Grubb refused to let it be heard, saying: "Since this is before the Standards Commission, I rule that it is inappropriate to discuss at the moment."

Speaking to the Evening News, Cllr Dawe said: "Marilyne has accepted the (internal report's] findings and she now clearly realises she made a mistake.

"She was wrong to say it was Lynda Flex who leaked the information, and she was wrong to remove her from the forum.

"She made two errors of judgement and she accepts that."

But Cllr Dawe said there was "circumstantial evidence" at the time that led to Cllr MacLaren's actions, and said she will support the education leader in any future vote of no confidence.

"As far as I'm concerned, she's doing her best," she said.

No councillors were allowed to speak on the matter at yesterday's meeting, but Cllr MacLaren had prepared a statement where she was expected to say: "I acted at the time of the leak in good faith and what I believed to be in the best interests of the school communities.

"While there appeared to be a body of evidence at the time pointing to Mrs Flex as the person who leaked the names of the four schools, I now accept that this is not the case – which is why an immediate apology was forthcoming.

"Since the forum was simply a sounding board for voicing opinion, and was not a fully constituted sub-committee of education, children and families, I believed I was within my powers to ask Mrs Flex to leave.

"I now accept that I was mistaken in this view."

Labour's education spokesman, Ricky Henderson, said: "That Cllr MacLaren acted improperly is beyond doubt, as the chief executive has confirmed.

"Given the ongoing damage that is being incurred to the council's reputation by this matter, we think it right for Cllr MacLaren to consider stepping aside from her post on a temporary basis until the findings of the Standards Commission are made known."