Macsween was “kept out in the cold” 9/2/10
Sirs,
Referring to the Rocket Range story of 4/2/2010, I can only conclude that Councillor MacSween must have been “absent without leave” somewhere on the moon when the story first broke in July 2007.
He continues to assert he was unaware of any threat to jobs until the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar Chief Executive informed him some two years later.
We are expected to believe the reason for Mr Burr shaking him awake was to appeal for his support in engaging his Westminster Labour Colleagues in the fight against the closure. Did the Labour chair of the responsible development committee fail to make use of these contacts?
I feel Donald John MacSween has good reason to feel aggrieved at having been “left out in the cold” by his own Labour councillors who apparently hadn’t spoken to him for two years!
It was aired on Radio nan Gaidheal, written about in at least four local and regional newspapers yet Councillor MacSween maintains he knew nothing.
Were there any Western Isles Constituency Labour Party meetings held in Uist over these two years and if so, were Uist Range issues on their agenda or were they ever discussed at all? It would appear not, if Councillor MacSween is to be believed.
The story reports the role of opposition parties in preventing closure but, when Councillor Manford correctly pointed this out some months ago, Labour activist Councillor McCormack, in his own inimitable fashion, expressed indignation.
Has the council now appointed a Westminster election candidate to a role which facilitates electioneering subsidised by the council taxpayers or is Councillor MacSween a council candidate for Westminster Parliament?
Meanwhile, Kevin Paterson, chair of the Western Isles Labour Party, suggested Angus MacNeil SNP MP is having difficulty in getting local staff with sufficient knowledge to check his press releases. In view of the above complete and utter fiasco can I refer to “pots and kettles.”
Marybell Galbraith
24 Ardmhor,
Isles of Barra
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