Amendment to Elect Provost Locally is Lost
The administration proposed a motion at Highland Council on 31 May 2007 to appoint 22 Convenors and Vice-convenors, amongst these being the appointment of Cllr Robert Wynd as Provost of Inverness. This was first occasion ever on record where councillors outwith Inverness chose the Provost.
Cllr Alex Graham, seconded by Cllr Jimmy Gray (Labour) moved an amendment in the following terms:
“That the election of Provost of Inverness be delegated to the City of Inverness Committee”
Speech made by Cllr Alex Graham in moving the amendment:
I wish to preface my remarks by stating that this amendment is not questioning Cllr Wynd’s suitability to be Provost. He is a first class candidate. This amendment is only about the manner in which the Provost is chosen
In previous Council service I have taken part in the election of Provost four times. This will be the 5th occasion.
The Provostship is the most historic office in the Highlands and Islands, and part of the fabric of life in the City of Inverness.
The motion by the administration is in breach of a tradition dating back to the Middle Ages. The office of Provost dates back to before the reign of Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, who was Queen from 1542 to 1587, and it is mentioned in the Great Charter of James VI of 1591.
The Provostship belongs to the people of Inverness, and only the Councillors of the City should choose the Provost. This is in accordance with tradition and the principle that decisions should be taken locally
I have not found a single person who agrees with the administration’s proposal, and the public are totally opposed to losing their control of the post of first citizen of the town.
The post has a great history, sometime chequered.
Sir Alexander MacEwan was provost in the 1920s – a great Scottish Nationalist. Bobo Mackay in the 1960s was probably the most popular Provost of recent times – he was a store man at MacRae & Dick.
Our immediate past Provost Bill Smith was widely regarded s the best since Bobo Mackay. I very much regret that he, my friend of 30 years, is not in this chamber today to contribute to this debate and possibly to contest for the position.
They were all good provosts in their different ways, but all chosen locally and not imposed upon the town.
Councillor Jimmy Gray was absolutely right when he said “the Provost of Inverness should be chosen by Inverness councillors”, and I am glad that he is seconding this motion.
I strongly urge the Highland Council to delegate this decision to where it belongs, and to where the people of Inverness want it to be taken – by Inverness councillors alone.
I move the amendment.
[Result: Sadly the amendment was defeated by 46:29]