Orkney Islands Council’s sound of silence

Accountability, openness, and leadership are the ethical standards that apply stringently to public office-holders under the Nolan Principles.

But are these values being upheld regarding the handling of the indefinite “special leave” of Orkney Islands Council’s (OIC) chief executive Oliver Reid?

Over six weeks have passed since the shock announcement on May 25 that Mr Reid had been removed from his post at School Place for an undetermined period of time.

Since then, the press and public have been consistently stonewalled by OIC.

The authority has released a single 24-word statement on the matter, in the steadfast belief that the absence of its top official and a merry go-round of deputising officials is simply “business as usual”.

OIC has consistently refused to engage with this newspaper, and declined all requests for interviews.

Discussions on governance have been held behind closed doors, leaving the public in the dark. “No comment” has become the byword of an authority in a state of flux.

This newspaper recognises the council’s duty to safeguard personal and confidential employee matters.

However, the current level of secrecy relating to some of the highest paid public servants is unsustainable and undemocratic.

Openness and transparency are central to our democracy, especially in an island setting where the council is so vital to public life.

In the absence of Orkney’s leaders and clear communication, vagueness, opacity, misinterpretation and suspicion has filled this void.

This has even extended to a Freedom of Information request being required to establish which one of the four corporate directors is currently leading the authority in any given month.

Internal emails paint a picture of an authority desperate to quell and limit any discussion on leadership at School Place.

This deafening silence calls into question the culture in the corridors of School Place. In the days of sanctioned press releases and many elected members being unable, unavailable and unwilling to speak to the press, is it acceptable that a local authority acts with impunity?

Who is actually in charge here? Officials or the members the people elect? When the electorate justifiably asks their councillor whom they elected, who is currently leading the authority, what is the answer?

Your elected members, appointed to represent the public and make decisions on your behalf, are apparently being kept oblivious of the facts.

This raises serious questions — not for the first time — over the direction of OIC, and decision making processes. 

The Orcadian is aware that elected members are actively encouraged to present a united “one voice” front on behalf of the authority. 

Why then do we elect people to represent our views, if that voice is monitored, and in the case of interim governance arrangements, effectively silenced? 

In emails obtained by The Orcadian, Council Leader Councillor Heather Woodbridge states: “We know clear communication is important, so we will continue to share updates and provide accurate information.”

We fully support that mantra and urge the OIC to follow its own ethos, by providing a meaningful update on this situation.

Perhaps it will open the door to a healthier culture where councillors can speak for themselves, and once again engage with the press and public just as they were elected to do.