Angus Council leader resigns after considering her position with the local authority

Council leader Councillor Beth Whiteside.

Angus Council’s leader has stepped down from her role with the SNP administration in a move which caught the county by surprise

While the process continues to fine a replacement, Kirriemuir councillor George Meechan will continue to serve as depute leader of the council’s SNP group..

Following the announcement, Ms Whiteside said that she had been considering her position for some time.

She said: “I have been considering stepping down as Leader for personal reasons for a while, and I feel like this period, after a general election and well before the Scottish elections is the best time.”

“I have hugely enjoyed my time as Leader and it has been a privilege to serve the people of Angus, but it is an all-encompassing role, and I’ve faced many huge challenges along the way and I feel it would benefit from new leadership.

“I am very proud to have been the Leader of Angus Council and particularly to be the first woman to have held this position.

“I wish my replacement every success as they take on the role and I will be there to support them as councillor for my ward of Monifieth and Sidlaw.”

Councillor Whiteside led the council through the recovery phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and the extreme weather events of last years.

She also played pivotal roles in securing the funding for the Arbroath Places for Everyone scheme and the Monifieth Learning Campus.

Depute Leader Councillor George Meechan said that that the SNP group will also decide on a replacement for Provost Brian Boyd, who also left his post recently.

He said: “The administrative group will meet to discuss who will succeed Cllr Whiteside as Leader, as well as who will take up the role of Provost following the departure of Cllr Brian Boyd.

“These are big decisions for the group and the council at a very critical time when we face so many challenges.

“We want to make sure that we have fully discussed our options and to do that we have to have all the right people in the room.

"However, we also respect councillors’ need to have a break over the summer recess, so we will wait to make our decisions which will be announced in due course.”