The leader of Fife Council’s Labour administration is understood to be seeking legal advice after an SNP councillor allegedly questioned his integrity during a public meeting.
In a bizarre twist, Councillor David MacDiarmid, the SNP councillor who made the comments to Councillor Alex Rowley, last night said he had ”no recollection of impugning the character of any member of the council”.
However, he said that if he had offended anyone ”in the heat of the moment”, then he withdrew the comments and ”wholeheartedly apologised.”
The comments by Mr MacDiarmid, who is an SNP member for the Howe of Fife ward, were made during a Fife Council debate regarding site options for a single-site Madras College.
Several councillors intervened during the discussion at Fife Council’s north east Fife area committee in Cupar on Wednesday because they felt that some of the comments made by Mr MacDiarmid whilst talking about school sites, landowners and developers were inappropriate.
Calling a point of order as a packed public gallery looked on, Fife Council executive spokesperson for education, independent Councillor Bryan Poole, said: ”I bitterly regret hearing these claims by Mr MacDiarmid … I hope he withdraws these allegations.”
The committee chairwoman, St Andrews councillor Frances Melville, told Mr MacDiarmid he had ”stepped over the line”.
In a statement issued to The Courier last night, Mr McDiarmid said: ”During my contribution to the four-hour discussion and assessment of sites for the new Madras High school, I made several passionate interventions.
”I have, however, no recollection of impugning the character of any member of the council or other body at the area committee. If I inadvertently, in the heat of the moment, offended or called into question anybody’s character, I unreservedly withdraw any remarks which may have given offence and any associated unintended inference. And wholeheartedly apologise, if I have caused any offence or inference of wrongdoing to be drawn.
”I will be writing to my colleagues, officers of the council and Councillor Rowley in that regard.”
Last night Mr Rowley declined to comment on the matter but The Courier understands he has written to Mr MacDiarmid to seek an explanation and has sought legal advice.
Meanwhile, Fife Council said detailed comments by councillors were not minuted at committees.