Edinburgh Council’s housing chief has been suspended by Labour after refusing to resign.
The move leaves the city facing its third housing convener in two years since a housing emergency was declared by the local authority.
Lezley Marion Cameron, who is also Edinburgh's Deputy Lord Provost, was issued with a three-week suspension by the Labour group on Monday, October 27, ahead of a meeting where it is expected she will be formally removed as convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee.
Read more
- 'An impossible task': £53m Edinburgh Council homelessness bill revealed
- City of Edinburgh Council backs rent control motion amid housing emergency
- 'Build baby build': ScotGov under new fire over housing emergency action failure
It comes after Cllr Cameron, who has held the housing brief for 10 months, broke the Labour whip and also appeared to back a reduction in the proportion of affordable homes required in new housing developments, which was recently increased from 25% to 35%.
Council leader Jane Meagher told The Herald: "We do need the third sector and the private sector and developers to know absolutely crystal clarity what the council position is on affordable housing allocation."
Cllr Cameron became housing convener in December, succeeding Cllr Meagher, who took over as council leader from Cammy Day after he resigned following allegations of sexual harassment. Cllr Day was readmitted to the group in May after he was cleared of any criminal behaviour.
Labour group colleagues are said to have grown increasingly frustrated at Cllr Cameron's failure to toe the party line in recent weeks.
During September’s full council meeting, she did not vote in favour of Cllr Day replacing her on the Policy and Sustainability Committee. Her absence from the chamber was recorded as an abstention, as she did not have permission to miss the vote, constituting a breach of the party whip.
Then, a week later at an event run by the David Hume Institute, she suggested the council's 35% affordable housing allocation for developers should be cut, arguing the existing requirement could discourage investment in the city.
At the discussion on 'disruptions to improve Scotland's housing system,' she said: "I'm a huge believer in being disruptive.
"I think I've had discussions with lots of people in this room ... two things I would support is looking at relaxing the affordable housing percentage in order to encourage development to grow."
Following the remarks, Cllr Meagher asked for her resignation earlier this month. After it was not forthcoming, a majority of Labour councillors voted at a meeting on Monday night to suspend her from the group for three weeks.
"There's been a process undergone in line with Scottish Labour procedures and that was reported to the Labour group last night, and action agreed," Cllr Meagher told The Herald.
Cllr Cameron is set to be formally removed as housing convener at a full council meeting on Thursday, October 30. Cllr Tim Pogson, currently Chair of Edinburgh Integration Joint Board, is among the councillors tipped to replace her.
However Meagher said the move is "completely unrelated to the discussion at last night's group meeting".
She said: "What I decide to do on Thursday, just bear in mind it's common practice to make changes to convenorships when the ned arises and that is entirely my decision as leader of the Labour group.
"The reason for that is to ensure there is a consistency of a message when it's across different portfolios.
"We do need the third sector and the private sector and developers to know absolutely crystal clarity what the council position is on affordable housing allocation.
"And in the context of the housing emergency, it is one of the biggest challenges we face in the city and we need to be absolutely clear what our policies are. And it's my job as leader to make sure that that's the case. "
The council leader has clarified her administration's commitment to maintaining the affordable housing requirement at 35%.
More from our Edinburgh correspondent
- What do short-term let convictions mean for Edinburgh’s ‘burgeoning’ black market?
- Could AI rescue Edinburgh’s struggling public services after years of budget cuts?
- 'It's just too much': Santa experience banned from Edinburgh city centre square
"I can confirm that the quote attributed to Councillor Cameron in your letter does not reflect Labour policy or the policy of this administration," Meagher said in response to a letter from SNP group leader Simita Kumar.
She added: "During the development of the City Plan 2030, this administration fought to increase the percentage of affordable homes required in new developments from the originally recommended 25 per cent to 35 per cent, which is an achievement I am very proud of.
"As a former convener of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work, I know well the challenges facing the sector and I am unequivocal in my conviction that more, not less affordable housing is key to addressing the challenges we face."
