Fiona Higgins was correct to question public cuts, says Record View.
Glasgow Labour councillor Fiona Higgins took to social media in 2024 to accuse a local authority official of misleading the public on cuts to teacher numbers.
An official complaint about Higgins was made to the council ethics body and a probe was launched.
The saga will go to court this week over claims the watchdog did not allow relevant information to be introduced by the councillor during the investigation.
The judicial review is important on a number of levels that go beyond the merits of this individual case.
Councils have been cut to the bone in recent years and have had to make painful cuts.
Local councillors have been the last line of defence for communities in stopping service cuts.
It is therefore essential that there is transparency in where the axe falls locally.
It is even more vital that councillors can speak freely if they feel town hall chiefs are not being open.
The complaint against Higgins appears to have been an over-reaction and also ill-judged.
She had a duty to speak up for parents and pupils alike and should not have faced a probe by a watchdog.
Her judicial review is one aspect of this investigation and it will be watched with interest by observers.
But we fear this row could already have had a chilling effect on free speech in local authorities.
Higgins deserves the support she has received and we wish her every success.
Race must widen to save the party
Scottish Labour are about to embark on a contest to elect their 11th leader of the devolution age.
This comes on the back of five defeats in a row to the SNP and shedding support at every Holyrood election.
To say the party of John Smith and Donald Dewar is in the last chance saloon is the understatement of the year.
With so many issues to debate, Scottish Labour should have a contest that includes candidates on all wings of the party.
It now seems that left-winger Monica Lennon will not make the ballot and it may become an all-male battle between Joe Fagan and Michael Marra.
This would be a shame because Lennon, unlike many in her party, is popular among the wider electorate.
The upcoming contest has to end with a divided party uniting to put forward a bold vision of change.
Lennon’s exclusion would make it harder for Scottish Labour to come together.
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