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Former Angus Provost to face watchdog hearing over outburst that reduced colleague to tears

Carnoustie councillor Brian Boyd stepped down as the area’s civic figurehead following the incident last summer.

Angus Provost Brian Boyd gets up off his seat during rant at Lois Speed. Image: You Tube
Angus Provost Brian Boyd gets up off his seat during rant at Lois Speed. Image: You Tube

Former Angus Provost Brian Boyd is to face a Standards Commission hearing over the town hall rant which caused his fall from grace.

The public bodies watchdog has summoned Carnoustie independent Mr Boyd to a hearing in Forfar later this year.

Notice of the July hearing was posted on the Standards Commission for Scotland website this week.

It does not detail any allegations the panel will consider.

However, The Courier understands it follows a complaint around Mr Boyd’s conduct towards fellow councillor Lois Speed in a meeting last June.

Provost admitted going ‘over the score’

His outburst led to Arbroath independent member Ms Speed fleeing the Forfar debating chamber in tears.

It came as Mr Boyd shut down her attempts to raise concerns over early years staff being cut in P1 classrooms.

He told her: “When I stand up, everyone here sits down.”

Brian Boyd resigned after an outburst against Arbroath councillor Lois Speed.
Brian Boyd was Angus Provost from May 2022 until stepping down in the row over his treatment of colleague Lois Speed. Image: DC Thomson

Mr Boyd apologised for going “over the score” when the fraught meeting resumed following a brief adjournment.

“It’s a very terse day and this is an opportune time for me to apologise to Lois,” he told the full Angus Council meeting.

“I’m a very dramatic person at the best of times and I did go over the score. I hope she’ll accept my apology.”

But his conduct was condemned as an “absolute disgrace” by one shocked colleague.

He initially resisted calls to resign, but later stepped down as Provost.

“I recognise that my behaviour fell below my own personal standards,” he said at the time.

Mr Boyd said he did not wish to make any comment on the matter ahead of the hearing.

Previous Standards Commission censure

In 2019, the frequently outspoken councillor was censured by the Standards Commission

It followed a row over an online petition which referred to a local minister as a “homophobic reverend”.

Mr Boyd signed the petition, which then appeared on social media due to the settings on his Facebook page.

He described it as a “regrettable episode”.

Mr Boyd is expected to remain a non-aligned councillor following the latest turn of events which saw the SNP lose control of the council.

A Conservative-dominated rainbow coalition is now in charge of Angus.

It comes after opposition members won a vote of no confidence in the nationalist group this week.

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