WITH the World Cup in Brazil to be held this summer, it is perhaps appropriate that a local authority should take a leaf out of football's rule book.
Argyll and Bute Council aims to restore a reputation damaged by internal strife by dishing out yellow cards to its councillors it deems guilty of politically unsporting behaviour.
Other suggestions include an ethics committee of elected members, which would judge what behaviour fell outside the accepted parameters and would refer complaints to the Standards Commission.
It is not known if councillors who refuse to take the yellow card will receive a red one and be subject to further punishment.
The council is led by 27 politicians from both the Argyll And Bute For Change Alliance and the Argyll, Lomond and the Isles Group, with SNP members and one other councillor making up the opposition.
Ex-Nationalist Michael Breslin said: "There is undoubtedly an attempt to clamp down on what the officials will describe as 'problem councillors' like myself who look to bring matters to the public's attention."
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