‘Ignored’ Kerr quits membership of SNP
A NATIONALIST councillor has dramatically quit the SNP because he claims he was not being listened to, especially when fighting for his deprived ward.
Inverness Central’s Donnie Kerr yesterday criticised the group leading Highland Council in a coalition with Labour and the Liberal Democrats.
He insisted that despite being a councillor for the city centre, Merkinch and Dalneigh since 2007, his opinions were undervalued.
“My problem is with the SNP council group, which I believe are not good at listening to some of their members and have a game plan set in place by individuals which is propped up by nodding dogs — but I don’t do nodding dog that well,” he said.
“I have always been an independent thinker. But I think my influence in the administration and SNP group was minimal.
“Nobody seemed to listen to anything. They seemed to forget I have been a councillor for more than five years for an area with the biggest amount of deprivation in the Highlands but when I brought up anything to do with deprivation they didn’t seem interested.”
But SNP group leader Drew Hendry denied censoring his colleagues.
“All of our members have valuable input and are free to speak on any items,” he said. “Anybody that knows Donnie knows he is a very forceful individual and most people would appreciate that Donnie is often heard and certainly any time that there is a concern raised it is listened to.
“Clearly it is not always possible to deliver what everybody wants all of the time.
“I wish Donnie all the best and I hope that if there are things we can work together on for the mutual benefit of the Highlands in the future that the door will always be open.”
The outspoken councillor, who quit the party on Tuesday, is no stranger to controversy.
Although he has carved out a reputation for diligence, there was friction with community groups and conflict with fellow councillors, including joining a group objecting to a planning application for the new town of Tornagrain, between Inverness and Nairn, when the coalition backed approval of the plan.
Last year he was temporarily suspended from the SNP group for alleged comments towards former Inverness West councillor Pauline Munro, a period Councillor Kerr described as a “sabbatical” where he found he could still perform his duties.
After re-election in May he informed SNP members he would review his position over the first six months of the coalition.
It is understood the SNP group gave him a deadline to make up his mind, leading to him signalling his resignation from the administration in an email to all councillors, local authority chief executive Alistair Dodds and Central ward manager Jimmy Flint.
“It is sad it has come to this but I didn’t see any improvement in the group democracy-wise or in terms of understanding or listening to others compared to the end of the previous term (when SNP was in opposition),” said Councillor Kerr, of Upper Kessock Street, Merkinch,
His decision has prompted SNP headquarters to suspend his membership after 30 years with the party.
Despite losing this support — days after the SNP had reached an agreement to stage an independence referendum — Councillor Kerr remains in favour of Scotland breaking away from the Union. However he does not see the party having a future if it is successful.
“I wouldn’t have stayed with the SNP after the referendum,” he revealed. “I believe the SNP is purely a vehicle to gain independence and after that they have no purpose in life and should just disappear.”
Although he will be replaced on three local authority committees — finance, housing and resources; transport, environmental and community services; and pensions — when full council meets on Thursday25th Oct, he vowed to do his best for his constituents and make his voice heard on items affecting them.
The administration had enjoyed a majority of 45 out of the 80 councillors in the region prior to Councillor Kerr’s decision.
He retains his place on the city of Inverness area committee and south planning applications committee and is currently classed as a non-aligned councillor making it difficult for him to be involved in strategic groups which are formed by political membership. But he views himself as an independent — although not part of the Independent group.
