THE Scottish Labour Party yesterday moved to suspend an Edinburgh councillor who is alleged to have helped a friend's mother get a new council house.
Labour Party chiefs in Glasgow, anxious to show they want to enforce high standards of conduct, told Mr David Brown in writing that he had been suspended from membership of the Edinburgh Labour Group.
Their move came soon after the city's ruling Labour administration decided it did not have to power to take such action. Edinburgh Labour Group chief whip Brian Weddell will now carry out an internal investigation into the allegations against Mr Brown and report back to their colleagues.
A report carried out for council chief executive Tom Aitchison by principal solicitor Gavin Anderson claims that Mr Brown broke the national local government code of conduct when he made representations to a sub-committee over the allocation of a house but did not disclose that the tenant concerned was the mother of former regional councillor Paul Nolan.
The committee subsequently allocated the house to her although she was ninth on the waiting list.
The council's monitoring officer, Dr Ralph Musgrave, concluded that the case raised issues of maladministration and possible injustice. The full council will consider the matter on May 28 when the role of the house letting and loans sub-committee in relation to the allocation of houses will also be examined.
Dr Musgrave concluded that it was fundamentally unsatisfactory that a councillor could present a case to it, in good faith or otherwise, which virtually guaranteed success for a particular individual.
Mr Brown, who has been a councillor for 28 years and is convener of the licensing committee faces disciplinary action if the allegations are proved.
The strongest sanction would be for the Labour Group to withdraw the whip stopping him from sitting as a Labour member. He could also be expelled from the party.
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