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SNP conference backs Paisley councillors calls for more protection

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The online SNP Conference today (Monday 13th September) voted to approve the calls by SNP councillors Kenny MacLaren and Will Mylet for greater protection for councillors.  The Paisley SNP councillors submitted an amendment to a resolution on the work of councillors, highlighting the issue involving the attack on Cllr Mylet’s home and stressing the need for councillors to get the same level of protection as other elected members.  This amendment was won by 461 votes to 32 against.  The movers of the more general resolution also accepted the amendment from Cllrs Kenny MacLaren and Will Mylet.

The amendment and call for support from SNP conference follows on from the recent attack on Cllr Mylet’s house where someone shouted obscenities in the early hours of the morning and then proceeded to smash his living room window.  Police were called and it was reported that this attack bore a striking resemblance to a case Cllr Mylet was working on.

However, Cllr Mylet received little support from senior council officers after the attack and was less than impressed with the actions of the police who took too long to respond to the call out or to investigate the attack.

Cllr Will Mylet said:

“I am pleased that conference delegates overwhelmingly supported our call for support.  I wouldn’t want any other councillors to go through what happened to me and my family and welcome any moves to provide greater protection for councillors.!

Cllr Kenny MacLaren added:

“I was pleased that the movers of the original resolution not only backed our amendment but that it was also backed by the vast majority of delegates who voted.  Even another councillor who was speaking on behalf of the more general resolution highlighted our amendment and the harassment that she has went through solely for being a councillor.

“This now means our amendment is part of the SNP party policy and we look forward to working with others within the party and Scottish Government to provide more protection for local councillors.”

Conference Amendment on Councillor Safety:

Conference also recognises the dedication and hard work of local councillors who, acting as representatives of their communities, often stand up to those perpetuating antisocial behaviour. Unfortunately, this often leads to councillors dealing with threats, harassment and even violence against them. Local councillors are the heartbeat of democracy within Scotland and deserve the same level of support parliamentarians would receive when they find themselves under attack simply for carrying out their democratic duty.