‘People feel it’s a public crucifixion’ says Thurso Community Council member after resignations announced

Mystery surrounds a series of resignations at Thurso Community Council after the group said it would issue a full statement on Friday.

The matter was initially highlighted in a Facebook group called Thurso Community Real on Wednesday which stated that there were several resignations of community council members pending, with “more to come”.

TCC was contacted to verify if there was any truth to the social media post and released a preliminary statement on Thursday morning with a full statement to be released on Friday afternoon.

The statement reads: “A number of members of TCC have submitted their resignations, and it is expected that further resignations are to follow shortly.

“It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time, other than to say that the relevant Highland Council officers are aware of the situation. Further information will be provided to the public in due course.”

Speculation was rife on the Facebook group that one person had been the source of discord, community councillor Alexander Glasgow.

Mr Glasgow was contacted to establish the veracity of these claims and said there had been no formal communication with TCC members on the matter and he had only become aware of the issue through a third-party posting on social media.

“This has come on the back of a grossly discourteous email that I received from a fellow member,” said Mr Glasgow.

He said that the letter had mentioned an “offer of Highland Council officers to pay a visit to TCC to mediate” on the ongoing issues within it.

“I am no angel but nobody deserves this level of vitriol. Others have spoken to me and described it as a ‘public crucifixion’ and I am pleasantly surprised at all the people who have voiced their concerns to me on the street or in private messages.

“I’m only human and when it happens it hurts.”

Mr Glasgow says it has taken “bullying to an entirely different level” and hopes the TCC can recover to continue its work.

“It suggests to me they are trying to control the narrative and act as gatekeepers to encourage other members to join them. I believe it is highly coordinated.”

Mr Glasgow was previously embroiled in a “heated debate” at TCC back in September last year when a member of the public left a meeting in tears and the atmosphere was described as highly “confrontational”.

At the meeting on September 24, TCC chairperson Thelma Mackenzie read out complaints made by members of the public “about a community councillor”. Though Mr Glasgow was not mentioned as the source of these complaints in the information shared, he said that he had “questions relating to the complaints procedure”.

At one point, a furious exchange took place in which the chair asked Mr Glasgow “to be quiet” to which he replied that she “was not his boss and couldn’t tell him what to do”. Mr Glasgow was criticised for being disrespectful and was advised by members “in very clear terms indeed that they considered that his conduct was totally unacceptable”.

He also took offence to the publication of the meeting’s minutes which he called one-sided and not fully capturing the “dynamics of the discussion or the contributions of all participants”.

Thurso and Northwest Caithness councillor Matthew Reiss said: “If this news is correct, it is bitterly disappointing and concerning. As evidenced at Halkirk on Wednesday evening, community councils play a pivotal role in our different communities.”

Fellow ward councillor, Provost Struan Mackie said: “I am incredibly concerned to hear that one of our largest community councils may be facing abeyance due to coordinated resignations.

“Functioning community councils are an integral part of local government, and communities are worse off when that voice is lost.

“Whilst it is not appropriate for elected members to speculate at this time on the reasons why this has happened until we know more, it is incumbent on the local authority to investigate and ascertain why so many community councillors feel unable to continue in post.”

Highland Council was contacted to provide a comment and on Thursday its spokesperson stated: “We have been informed of four resignations from a total of 13 elected members of the community council. As things currently stand, the community council retains enough members to continue to function normally.”

The local authority sent details outlining procedures for what happens when vacancies arise in community councils. “Should a community council fall below half its total permitted membership (13 total members in Thurso, so this would trigger if it hit 6) it would stop operating immediately.

“If this happens less than six months from an interim election, and there are enough members left to meet a quorum – which is a minimum of four people – then the community council continues to operate with the agreement of the Highland Council.”

The next interim elections will be in August 2025, so TCC could continue to operate if it can retain at least four members.

Mr Glasgow added: “Now, with several vacancies to be filled, I look forward to Highland Council calling for elections to ensure that TCC can move forward with a renewed sense of purpose and dedication to representing the people of this town.”

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