Councillor suspended after criticising 'shambles' flowerbeds

Colourful flowerbeds on Rothesay seafront, pictured in 2021

A councillor on the Isle of Bute has been suspended for a month after a social media post condemning the "shambles" state of its flowerbeds.

Liz McCabe, former depute provost of Argyll and Bute, said "nothing had been done" about the flowers since her husband retired from a council supervisor job.

She was found to have breached a code of conduct after criticising his successor for a lack of experience in maintaining the floral displays.

Bute's main town Rothesay was popular holiday resort during the Victorian era, known for its picturesque seafront flowers.

Councillor McCabe said she had posted out of frustration, but stood by her comments.

McCabe represents Bute as an independent and was depute provost from May 2022 to April 2024.

She was found to have committed the breach at a Standards Commission Scotland hearing.

It was told that she had intended to post to a community Facebook page from a personal account, but instead used her professional council profile.

She commented: "Nothing has been done since Joe retired in November. It is absolutely shocking.

"That's what happens when someone who has no experience gets the job and doesn't have a clue."

Councillor Liz McCabe left the comment on a community Facebook page

The Standards Commission Scotland panel ruled that the comment was "inherently disrespectful" to the person currently in the job.

It said: "By saying the individual had no experience or clue, Councillor McCabe was inferring they should not have got the job.

The panel concluded that McCabe had breached the code of conduct requiring councillors to be respectful and to "refrain from criticising performance, conduct or capability in public".

McCabe had co-operated with the panel and admitted she was frustrated and angry when she wrote the post, which she deleted shortly afterwards.

She said: "I immediately realised I had been on my Liz McCabe – Independent for Bute page and removed the post.

"Had it been on my own personal page I would have left the comment. Our town is in a terrible state.

"I stand by everything I said. The town is an absolute shambles and nothing is being done about it."

Story by Local Democracy reporter Andrew Galloway.