Community councillor says he was gagged

Pete Bevington

24 August, 2007

A BRESSAY community councillor claims he was gagged when he tried to raise a question about Shetland Islands Council's support for its chief executive Morgan Goodlad.

Roy Whitehead, of South Maryfield, Bressay, wanted to raise his concerns about SIC councillors backing Mr Goodlad after he was found guilty of maladministration by the Scottish local government ombudsman last May.

He was silenced at a community council meeting last week by its chairman Theo Smith and SIC convener Sandy Cluness, who was present.

Mr Whitehead, a local surveyor, said he had written to every SIC councillor demanding to know why they had given their "blessing and support to the chief executive Mr Morgan Goodlad following his examination by the Public Sector Ombudsman who declared him guilty of maladministration and that he had failed to tell her the truth".

He wrote: "It seems to me and most of the electors in Shetland that these findings were very serious indeed and should have warranted an in-depth inquiry and a public statement."

Yesterday (Thursday) Mr Smith said that as chairman of the community council he felt "it

wasn't appropriate to discuss issues about a member of staff at a community council meeting"

Mr Cluness said: "My view was that it was a staffing matter. It came out of the blue. It wasn't on the agenda and Theo Smith refused to let him go ahead. I said that in my view it was inappropriate."

Mr Whitehead is unhappy about the way he has been treated, saying that he was asking questions about SIC councillors' behaviour and not about Mr Goodlad directly.

On 4 July the SIC went into secret session to discuss a report by their chief legal officer Jan Riise about the ombudsman's findings. A motion was passed without a vote expressing councillors' trust and confidence in Mr Goodlad.

"I am absolutely amazed that 22 people could be talked into doing this and also that they would do it in secret, and they won't tell anybody how they did it or why," Mr Whitehead said.

"There is a public perception of skulduggery on the council, which I find very disappointing."

Yesterday several councillors, including Mr Cluness, said they had yet to receive a copy of Mr Whitehead's letter.

The council is in the process of updating its code of conduct for employees to emphasise the importance of public perception of their actions.