The Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland has thrown out a complaint against seven councillors in connection with a decision not to open Lewis Sports Centre on Sundays.
Councillors exonerated over Sunday opening bias accusation
1 June 17
The Families Into Sport and Health (FiSH) group alleged they broke the councillors’ code of conduct.
Councillors Gordon Murray, Charlie Nicolson, Catherine MacDonald, Angus Morrison, Donald Crichton, Iain Mackenzie and John Mackay were reported to the commissioner.
Some were accused failing to include church membership in their register of interests.
It was also alleged that, at the vote during the full council in October, they all
failed to declare a non-
All the seven councillors told the commissioner they voted against Sunday opening due to employment, operational and financial considerations, budget considerations or due to the views of their constituents, together with the views expressed in the chief executive’s report.
The commissioner concluded he does not “consider that there has been sufficient evidence presented to show that they acted in accordance with their own religious beliefs or that their decisions were determined by their membership of a religious organisation.”
Thus there was no breach of the councillors’ code of conduct, he stated
