Sorry to keep banging on about this but I had to comment on the story that I posted the link for last night. Especially with regard to Cllr MacDiarmid's part in the whole sorry affair.
If I can quote from the article.
Councillor Gordon MacDiarmid, convener of the licensing board, said the decision to amend the policy had been a result of its "listening" role.
Given the outcry since this proposal was first made it appears strange that the board only decided to listen once the Publicans elected to refer this matter for a judicial review at the Court Of Session.
The case was due to be heard this week.
In what appears to be a pre-emptive strike the council hastily arranged a meeting with the interested parties in an obvious attempt to avoid the bloody nose that they would surely have received in court. So much for Cllr MacDiarmid's previous assertion that "we (the council committee) feel entirely on safe grounds legally" with this policy.
To use the west of Scotland parlance this appears to be a classic case of someone's "bottle crashing", and how ironic is that?
Now on to the more entertaining aspect of this whole debacle...The Scottish Beer & Pub Association are now seeking costs (estimated at around £50,000) from the council for the aborted legal challenge. Full story here...
If they succeed in recouping their outlay, and I sincerly hope they do, can we expect Cllr MacDiarmid to do the honourable thing and fall on his sword? Sadly I doubt it.
Just a footnote on this one. News has reached Davenelli Towers that Cllr MacDiarmid once asked a colleague if his new suit made him look fat. We are reliably informed that the colleague was heard to assure the councillor that his face already did that. Probably.
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