Two is company when on civic duty

In an unusual turn of events, it transpired that both these senior positions were placed in the hands of Mid Argyll councillors.

 

The Advertiser asked Provost Dougie Philand and Depute Provost Jan Brown whether the ward being represented in this way would be of significance to the people of Mid Argyll.

 

Councillor Philand said: “In all my years on the council I have never seen this before but I believe the good working relationship with Jan will assist us both to fulfil our civic roles to the best of our abilities.

 

“For me it would be best to ask our constituents how they feel about the appointments. I can only hope they are content with our roles both in a civic sense but also as ward members for Mid Argyll.”

 

And Councillor Brown also acknowledged that the situation was unusual, saying: “I think it might be the first time it’s happened.

 

“For me it’s a huge honour to have been asked to be depute provost and I do think it raises the profile for Mid Argyll. I hope the people of Mid Argyll think it’s important in the same way I do.

 

"Dougie and I have worked together since I got elected and have a really good working relationship and I hope that going forward this will be a good, positive thing for Argyll and Bute.”

 

Councillor Brown also reflected on the circumstances in which she came to be appointed last month: “I was asked by the leaders in the Administration group if I would consider taking on the role. I accepted this and it went to the full council to be ratified.”

 

However, the Provost explained that the circumstances surrounding his appointment were a bit out of the ordinary.

 

“The process of appointment was rather different to the usual process. I was nominated by the group of opposition councillors to stand for Provost at a special council meeting in April.

 

" The vote that day was 18 for the outgoing provost and 18 for me. Under the agreed standing orders for the council the decision had to be agreed by lot which in this case was a cut of the cards which I drew the highest and therefore assumed the chair of provost.”

 

Now, two months on from that day Councillor Philand is relishing his new position.

 

“I am absolutely loving the role in that you are meeting so many different and varied people and situations which makes it all the more enjoyable. It is early days into my role as provost and I am still on a learning curve. I am always open to change and will be guided by my colleagues and members of the public regarding any development to the role but I’m certainly not afraid of change.”

 

And his depute expressed a similar amount of enthusiasm, outlining where the role has taken her so far.

“I am delighted and very honoured to have been asked to take up this role and have jumped in with both feet,” she said.

 

“I was asked to attend Councillor Robin Currie’s funeral in Islay in place of Dougie who was unable to attend as civic head of the council. I also attended the opening of the General Assembly and the installation of the new Moderator in Edinburgh - both in the one week.”

 

Councillor Brown’s reference to the office’s civic role was explained further by the Provost.

 

“The role of provost firstly is to chair all the full council meetings and conclude the business for the day. The role also is a civic role. At events to which the council has been invited, for example the Royal National Mod this year in Oban, the provost acts as the face of the council and fosters good relationships with external visitors.”

 

Regarding the day-to-day running of the council, the Provost added: “I believe that in the council it is the duty of the provost to ensure good working relationships with the administration and opposition groups to allow free expressions of views and ideas.”

 

When asked specifically about the Administration group’s position going forward the Depute Provost said she had no doubt whatsoever that the newly named group can form a cohesive governing body and added: “We are a group of councillors who represent their communities to the best of their ability, and all want the best that the council can deliver and we will work hard a group to achieve this.”

 

Responding to the same question, the Provost said: “I have been a councillor for 17 years and believe the group we have at present is more than capable of giving their best to Argyll and Bute and it has been a real pleasure to work with such talented individuals who care about their respective wards.”