Scottish Borders councillors leave administration again

Councillors Watson McAteer and Stuart Marshall claim Hawick is being unfairly treated

Two councillors have left a local authority's ruling administration for the second time in four years.

Watson McAteer and Stuart Marshall - who both represent Hawick - claim the town is not getting its fair share of support from Scottish Borders Council.

They resigned from the independent alliance, resulting in their expulsion from the administration coalition with the Conservatives.

The pair left the previous administration back in January 2015.

Mr McAteer said "We've resigned simply because it doesn't work.

"It was always going to be difficult because you've got a group of independent minds representing their communities.

"For us, we found it quite difficult to get any traction to get the independents to come together and form any kind of strategic plan."

'Extremely difficult'

He said they would continue to fight for Hawick and the areas around the town to get their slice of the "economic pot" at the council.

"So far, it's all been focused on Galashiels and Tweedbank, and, of course, there are councillors within the independent alliance who represent those communities who don't want any change," he said.

Mr Marshall said the last year had been "extremely difficult".

"I've felt that I'm here making numbers up. That's not why I was elected," he said.

"I'm here to fight the corner of the people of Hawick and Denholm, and I'm getting no traction as part of the independent alliance.

"I'm very disappointed this morning that the administration has taken the decision to kick me out, but that's their decision and they'll have to live with that decision."

'Legal decision'

Council leader, Conservative Shona Haslam, said their positions could be reconsidered in future.

"This is a legal decision," she said.

"The initial coalition was set up between the Conservative group and the independent alliance, so when the two Hawick councillors resigned from the independent alliance, they necessitated their resignation from the current administration."

She said they would look at the position in future and have discussions and move forward.

Mr McAteer and Mr Marshall also left the previous SNP/Lib Dem/independent administration back in January 2015.

It followed a vote on funding for a permanent home for the Great Tapestry of Scotland where they claimed they had felt pressure to tow a party line despite it being a free vote.

• Story by local democracy reporter Joseph Anderson