No further action against councillor over toilet roll post

A councillor who re- posted a picture of a toilet roll with the word “a***holes” underneath will see no further action taken against him by the standards watchdog.

- KAIYA MARJORIBANKS

The Standards Commission agreed with the Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC) that the language used in independent Bannockburn ward councillor Alasdair Macpherson’s re-post was “objectively disrespectful” and that publishing it had the potential to bring the role of a councillor into disrepute.

But they also agreed that - even if the conduct was found to be disrespectful or discourteous at a hearing - it was “highly likely” the councillor would enjoy enhanced protection to freedom of expression, given his post concerned a matter of public concern.

A complaint - described this week by Cllr Macpherson as “pathetic” - had been received by the ESC in June last year, which was then referred to the Standards Commission in March.

The complaint alleged the councillor had failed to act with courtesy and respect, in breach of the Code, in respect of a post he published on social media in June 2024.

The ESC reported that he considered the Code applied as the respondent referred to himself as a councillor on the social media account.

The ESC said: “The respondent re-posted a picture of a toilet roll with the name of a newspaper on it, with the words ‘written by a**holes, for a***holes’ appearing underneath.”

The councillor then commented, relating to another political party’s stance on the conflict in the Middle East: “…the death knell for your rag supporting a party of genocide supporting #RedTory lying charlatans’.