‘My fight for openness goes on’

Mr Scott, who was also a reporter for many years at the Southern Reporter before moving to Orkney, has been campaigning for more openness at local government level in the islands.

He uses social media regularly, and it is through this that he was reported, by a group of councillors, to the commission, which has since found against him and on Monday, suspended him from attending meetings of the full council for the next three months.

The commission found that, in two Facebook posts published in March 2020, Mr Scott disclosed sensitive information about the council’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, despite the information having been provided by officers to elected members at private briefings.

The hearing panel also found that Mr Scott disclosed, in another Facebook post the following month, that another councillor had passed away, despite having been told that the news was to be kept private until confirmation had been received that all family members had been advised of the news.

After the hearing, Mr Scott said: “I am obviously saddened by the decision taken by the Standards Commission, but relieved that this prolonged and stressful situation is drawing to a close. I gave this my best shot and I hope that my plea in mitigation will hold weight when it comes to the sanction being imposed.

“I also hope that the panel will recognise the unprecedented context of the situation at the time of the March lockdown and the political context concerning those councillors taking the case against me.

“I thank the general public for their support and assure them that my fight for openness and accountability within Orkney Islands Council will continue.”

Ashleigh Dunn, chairwoman of the hearing panel, said: “The requirement for councillors to refrain from disclosing confidential information is a key requirement of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.

“The panel noted that a failure to do can damage the reputation and integrity of a council and can also impede discussions and decision-making.

“The panel agreed that, in this case, it was legitimate for the council to have decided that the information be kept confidential until such a time as the proposals discussed had been finalised and officers had sufficient time to prepare and manage external communications.

“This would ensure the council’s position and response were communicated clearly and fully.”

The panel concluded that Mr Scott had breached the privacy and confidentiality provisions in the code in respect of all three posts.

On Monday, Mr Scott was suspended from attending meetings of the full council for three months.

Mr Scott said: “This will amount to two, or possibly three meetings. I will still be allowed to attend all other meetings and take part in my work within the community at large.

“I have decided not to appeal against this decision, but I will fight on in making my case for a more open form of government and better governance at School Place [Orkney Islands Council’s HQ].”