Highland Council's budget leader resigns just weeks before local authority due to deliver plans for the year; Veteran Dingwall and Seaforth councillor Alister Mackinnon cites personal reasons for decision

In a shock move, Ross-shire councillor Alister Mackinnon has resigned as Highland Council’s budget leader and as the chairman of the corporate resources committee, citing personal reasons.

In a brief statement the leader of Highland Council, Margaret Davidson, thanked him for his work over his three years in charge of the local authority's finances and said that budget proposals will be delivered on time on March 4.

The leadership of the political administration received the resignation this morning but his departure could scarcely have come at a worse time for the local authority with just over a month until the council budget.

Cllr Mackinnon’s resignation also comes within days of the Scottish Government’s own budget statement – a time when a lot of work goes into understanding the implications of the spending and taxation plans for the local authority.

Cllr Davidson said: “I have now received formal notification that the budget leader Alister Mackinnon has stepped down for personal reasons.

“I would like to thank him for all his work and support over the past three years. Internal discussions are continuing within the administration and the budget proposals will be delivered on time for March 4.”

Deputy leader of Highland Council Alasdair Christie said: “The administration is working towards producing a budget. Budgets always are a cohesive and collective document where the chairs of the strategic committees – education, social work, roads, economy and infrastructure – all feed in and all have a huge role in the budget."

He said: "We have started the cycle that we normally go through for a budget so it is not going to slow down or impede anything that we have already started. The coordination of the budget was the role of the budget leader but that is something which will be addressed so the budget can be brought forward.”

Conservative group leader Andrew Jarvie said: “The door is always open for shock departures in this free-falling Council. With the budget just four weeks away, it only begs the question again is anyone in control?

“At the peak of the pandemic and in just four weeks, this council will meet to agree its budget without a budget leader. Political life is hard, we understand that. But when you hold this level of responsibility, stepping down should be done with some notice.

"At the very least, make your resignation effective following the budget, not four weeks before it when not even I have seen any detail of it."

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