Emotional scenes at Highland Council as local authority holds minute's silence for people of Ukraine ahead of crunch budget meeting
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Highland Council kicked off a crunch meeting to decide its £642 million budget with a minute's silence for Ukraine as the Russian invasion of the country continues.
Convenor Bill Lobban, seated with Ukrainian flags on his desk and a banner stating "we stand with Ukraine" issued a statement calling for action from councillors.
The request was made before members gather for a second full meeting of the local authority next week.
He said: “We have had a number of suggestions from Councillors Robertson and Louden.
"There are many, many things we can do both as a council and as individuals and I would ask that you really consider and when we discuss it next week we will bring forward some proposals that can help.
“Words mean an awful lot but cash means much more so members if you pause for a minute’s silence in respect for the people of Ukraine.”
When the silence was over the councillors, some of whom had Ukrainian flags on the back of their laptops, broke out into applause.
There was more to come when the normally very composed council leader, Margaret Davidson, who had already been affected by the death of Cllr Tom Heggie last week broke down in tears at the conclusion of her address on the budget.
She said: “Thank you Convenor for the banner you have put below you there as we look to what is going on elsewhere in Europe.
“Last night, I looked up a speech President Roosevelt made in 1941 after Pearl Harbour when he saw the spectre of Europe losing more freedoms – the freedom of speech, the freedom of worship, the freedom from want, and the freedom from fear.
“We will have that in our minds today.”
