MY VOTING RECORD
- Open, honest & transparent
Struan has always voted against cuts to the roads and pavement budgets in Caithness.
He proposed an additional £8million pound of additional road spending in 2021/22 that was voted down by the Lib Dem, Labour and Independent administration (with the support of the SNP).
Reference: https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/tories-alternative-budget-cut-council-tax-and-fix-our-roads-229834/
Additional Support Needs Provision
Struan has always voted against cuts to the additional support needs provision in Highland Schools.
When faced with a real-terms cut in funding, Struan voted to increase ASN spend by £400,000 with additional training and resources for practitioners and newly qualified teachers.
Whilst generations of local politicians have talked about the issue, Struan proposed the first-ever vote on the future of the Highland Council in December 2021. He advocated for the Scottish Government to consider all options to return truly representative democracy to the Highland Region and end the Highland Council as we know it.
The vote was lost by two votes. With Independent, Labour and Liberal Democrat Councillors all split on the proposal... stopping our only opportunity to bring forward real plans for change.
Reference: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/3736692/its-time-to-break-up-the-highland-council-motion-to-council-will-reopen-old-wounds/
Struan has always voted in support of the nuclear industry, leading efforts to declare the Highland Council as a pro-nuclear local authority in favour of new development on the Dounreay and Vulcan sites.
As the Chair of the Dounreay Stakeholder Group, the statutory body responsible for community scrutiny of the site, he is an advocate for the industry, the world-class skills and supply chain in the area.
Struan has led the campaign to reduce the costs of burials, lairs and cremations in the Highland Council, setting up the Fair Funeral Fees (Highland) campaign group.
At the budgets in 2018, 2019, 2020 he proposed serious reductions in the costs of funeral fees, which are among the most expensive in Scotland. These proposals were supported by the SNP in 2019, but voted against by all other Councillors (with the exception of Janet Campbell) in 2018 and 2020 respectively.
Struan has consistently voted against decisions being made in Inverness and has proposed several initiatives to improve local accountability in the Highland Council.
His proposals reinstated the Provosts in Wick and Thurso and returned the Civic roles to Caithness for the first time in four decades.
Reference: https://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/news/nicola-sinclair-keen-to-see-local-decision-making-after-being-elected-to-caithness-committee-chairperson-role-205134/
Struan has always voted against increased Executive Pay and additional senior managers to be appointed within the Highland Council.
In 2020 and 2021, he voted against the appointment of a Deputy Chief Executive, which will cost the taxpayer £122,000 per year at a time when our roads are crumbling and services are being cut back in the region.
Struan has also voted for a smaller management structure with less senior executive posts. Chief Executive Donna Manson promised on her appointment that the Executive level of the Council would be smaller under her tenure and costs the tax-payer less. This has not happened.
Reference: https://www.ross-shirejournal.co.uk/news/highland-council-agrees-to-appoint-deputy-chief-executive-238848/
Struan is the only Councillor in Thurso and Northwest Caithness to propose a reduction in Council tax over the five year Council term.
He also voted in favour of proposals to refund your Council Tax increase due to lack of roads maintenance due to COVID-19. This was voted down by the Liberal Democrats, Scottish Labour, Independent Councillors and the SNP.
Reference: https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands-islands/2944294/highland-council-budget-opposition-tories-offer-alternative-version-including-26m-spend-on-roads/
All my votes can be found in full at https://www.highland.gov.uk/meetings/committee/52/highland_council