Tory councillor suspended by party for trams vote rebellion

Published on Saturday 29 December 2007 10:42

A CITY councillor has been suspended from Edinburgh's Tory group after refusing to back the controversial trams scheme.

It is understood Kate MacKenzie will be excluded from all group meetings and votes for the next three months, and be forced to vacate the Conservative offices at the City Chambers. One source said the Almond councillor will be re-housed in a private room next to Labour's former Lord Provost, Eric Milligan.

Councillor MacKenzie's opposition to the 498 million scheme is well known at the City Chambers, but the Conservative manifesto she was re-elected on included a pledge to back the proposals.

At a full council meeting last week she stayed outside the chamber for a vote on the final business case for the trams, which was only opposed by SNP councillors.

It is the second time Cllr MacKenzie has got into trouble for refusing to support the tram plans. In December last year, she resigned as Tory whip "on principle" – fearing the costs of the project would spiral.

One senior councillor said today: "Kate's position has been well known for some time, so she deliberately stayed out of the room during the vote."

Another leading councillor added: "Kate was told she had to be in the room for the vote, and by failing to do so she has had the party whip withdrawn.

"She's been told to leave the Tory offices and has been given her own office next to Eric Milligan.

"I don't know which is the worse punishment: the suspension or being put next to Eric."

It is believed Cllr MacKenzie is the only Tory councillor in more than 25 years to defy party bosses on an issue being debated in public.

There are thought to be a small number of councillors – including other Conservative and Labour members – who privately harbour doubts about the trams scheme, but always follow the party whip.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, the SNP group leader, said today: "(Cllr MacKenzie's abstention] backs up the assertion that although the tram scheme has all-party support – apart from the SNP – it doesn't have all-councillor support."

It is thought Cllr MacKenzie will be excluded from all group meetings, ruling her out of policy discussions and group briefings from officials. She is likely to be barred from using group facilities and may have to sit on her own at full council meetings.

Tory leader Iain Whyte today said he was unable to comment on internal group matters.

Cllr MacKenzie also declined to comment.