Former Angus provost Bill Middleton will step down from local government at May’s elections.
The Forfar SNP member has decided to end a 17-year career in the council chamber. He has described the opportunity to serve in the figurehead role from 2003-07 as ”an honour and a privilege”.
The town’s SNP branch also announced that Mr Middleton’s councillor wife, Glennis, and Lynne Devine are candidates for the 2012 council poll.
Mr Middleton (65) spoke of his enjoyment in the years since he and his wife were elected together at Forfar’s Reid Hall, and the highlights of his time as provost.
He said: ”Throughout my time as a councillor, and particularly as provost, I have had so much encouragement from so many people and I am incredibly grateful for that.
”To serve as provost was such an honour and a privilege. I met so many interesting people and had so many memorable experiences.”
He says granting the Freedom of Arbroath to 45 Commando in 2003 and then the Freedom of Angus to The Black Watch in 2006 stand out.
Mr Middleton said: ”I also remember that, when they were talking about doing away with The Black Watch, contacting John Letford in Dundee and that led on to the provosts of Dundee, Angus, Fife and Perth and Kinross coming together at the Powrie Brae monument to highlight the issue, before we travelled to Downing Street to press the case for the regiment.”
He welcomed the Queen to Angus in 2004, adding: ”I also made two visits to China which were just amazing.”