Seven female councillors have called for an external review into Highland Council’s licensing committee following the recent scandal over a rapist taxi driver.
Ahead of a full council meeting on Thursday (September 17) a motion has been proposed by councillors Jackie Hendry, Emma Knox, Lyndsey Johnston, Kate MacLean, Sarah Atkin, Morven Reid and Kate Willis, calling on Highland Council to commission an external independent review of licensing.
It comes after the Courier revealed that convicted rapist David Brown was allowed to keep his taxi operator’s licence after a majority decision of the committee made behind closed doors.
Four of the seven women behind the motion are members of the licencing committee – Councillors Knox, Johnston, MacLean and Hendry. All four voted against the decision to allow the licences in Brown’s name to be continued.
The fall out after the result of the vote was made public saw four male councillors who voted in favour of Brown retaining his license resign from the committee, with plans for a vote of no confidence in the members later announced by Highland Council. This vote is also set for the full council meeting.
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Cllr Atkin said “we have to do more to deal with it” beyond that vote of no confidence.
The motion calls for a review to be led by a qualified person independent of the council, with a review possibly considering the licensing committee’s operation and governance and the consistency in which the “fit and proper person” test is applied as well as safeguarding for women and the treatment of Police Scotland objections.
It could also look at “whether there are lessons to be learned regarding equality, unconscious bias, organisational culture or other factors that could potentially influence decision making.”
Cllr Atkin said: “I was more than happy to offer my support (to the motion) in how it was shaped.
“This is not kicking it in the long grass – we have to know how we got to where we got to for the public to have confidence in licensing again.”
Of the David Brown decision she said the “level of outrage” that followed was like “nothing I have known”.
If granted the motion would see the independent review initiated by the end of December, with a report to be brought back to the council by the end of March 2027.
The motion, however, also proposes that a review would not prevent the council from undertaking a shake-up of licensing committee membership and operations meantime, concluding with a wish “to reaffirm Highland Council’s commitment to public safety, equality, transparency and continuous improvement in licensing decision-making”.
In a joint statement from all seven councillors they said the motion “is about restoring and strengthening public confidence in Highland Council’s licensing system.”
They add: “Licensing exists first and foremost to protect the public. Residents and visitors alike should have confidence that licensing decisions place public protection, safeguarding and the prevention of harm at their centre.
“Recent events have understandably prompted questions about how licensing decisions are made, the consistency of decision-making and whether existing arrangements remain fit for purpose.
“This is not about relitigating previous cases and it is not about reaching predetermined conclusions. It is about asking reasonable questions, identifying lessons, sharing good practice and ensuring public confidence in one of the council’s most important regulatory functions.”
Highland Council will vote on whether to not to agree the motion at the meeting next week.
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