Tearful council leader sorry for library mistake

Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson broke down in tears as she apologised for mistakes made over plans to shut seven libraries.

A special meeting of the local authority was called after the Scottish Conservatives issued an incorrect press statement saying the proposal to close the libraries had been scrapped.

The statement was amended three hours after it was published to say closure proposals were still on the table but that Conservative councillors would not support them.

Councillor Robertson said she was "deeply sorry" for the mixed messages and committed to undertake further training on the council's Code of Conduct.

The Scottish Conservatives have nine of the 26 seats on Moray Council, meaning they need the support of other parties to pass votes.

The initial Tory press release "unintentionally" made it look like the decision to scrap the library closures had been taken by the council as a whole.

The special meeting was held after SNP group leader Scott Lawrence lodged a Notice of Motion expressing a lack of confidence in how the administration had dealt with the matter.

Councillor Lawrence disputed accusations that lodging the motion was party political.

He said: "It was deliberately depoliticised and deliberately focused around the procedures and the ways of working we have in this council."

Councillor Robertson told the council meeting: "For me personally, I am deeply sorry that my trust with election members, staff and the public have been eroded."

She expressed her hope that the administration's track record would not be "marred indefinitely" by the incident, before becoming tearful.

The meeting was then adjourned for a few minutes.

Moray Council have earmarked seven out of 11 libraries for closure in a bid to save £275,000 - Burghead, Cullen, Dufftown, Keith, Lossiemouth, Fochabers and Tomintoul.

Councillors are due to make the final decision early next year after considering the results from a recently-finished public consultation.