A councillor who sparked anger over “offensive” remarks he made about ospreys at T in the Park has been cleared of wrongdoing by Scotland’s ethical standards watchdog.
Tom Gray faced calls to resign after speaking out at a Perth and Kinross Council meeting to determine the fate of Scotland’s biggest music festival.
Referring to concerns that the protected birds of prey could be threatened by the show’s move to Strathallan Castle, Mr Gray said: “I don’t know a single osprey to have topped itself because it had to move its nest.”
The SNP representative for Strathallan had also claimed that the ospreys had become “more powerful” in the decision-making process than the 85,000 music fans who flock to T in the Park each year.
Backing a motion to approve the festival’s relocation, Mr Gray said there were more ospreys around today than there were 25 years ago, when they were “chased away” by fishermen.
His comments moved one protester to launch a petition calling for his resignation, attracting hundreds of signatures.
And the Strathallan T Action Group (STAG) reported him to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland.
Now the watchdog has issued the findings of its investigation into the comments, ruling that Mr Gray had not contravened the councillors’ code of conduct.
Commissioner Bill Thomson said: “There was some evidence that Mr Gray’s comments were considered disrespectful by members of the public who had signed the petition calling on him to resign.
“I noted also that his subsequent apology in a local newspaper (The Courier) was followed swiftly with an open apology at an early opportunity.”
He added: “However, taken in context I was not satisfied that the remarks made by Mr Gray were intended to be disrespectful.”
During the inquiry, Mr Gray told the commissioner his comments were “injudicious”.
Mr Gray said yesterday: “I am of course delighted that common sense has prevailed in bringing an end to the matter.”
A spokeswoman for STAG, who had campaigned against T in the Park’s move to Strathallan, said: “It seems extraordinary that someone in Councillor Gray’s position can be allowed to express such cavalier views on the subject views that he himself has admitted were ‘injudicious’, and that fly in the face of his duty under the Nature Conservation Act to further biodiversity.”
Following the festival, RSPB Scotland praised organisers for taking measures to avoid disturbance to the birds.