Edinburgh housing convener Lezley Cameron suspended by Labour ahead of sacking
Lezley Cameron is now sitting as an independent councillor
Edinburgh’s housing convener has been suspended by Labour for her behaviour and is poised to be replaced with the chairman of the capital’s integration joint board (IJB).
Lezley Marion Cameron will also be officially voted out of her job at Thursday’s full council meeting after she angered her colleagues, including council leader Jane Meagher, for her comments over affordable housing, first reported by The Scotsman.
Ms Cameron also broke the Labour whip by missing a vote to bring back former council leader Cammy Day to a flagship committee of the council after he was cleared of any wrongdoing following conduct allegations against him.
She was suspended for three weeks from the party after a crunch meeting on Monday night over her breaking the party whip by refusing to back Mr Day’s return. She is now listed as an independent councillor.
READ MORE: Edinburgh Labour housing convener to be sacked after refusing to quit over affordable homes comments
Ms Meagher confirmed to The Scotsman that “disciplinary action has been approved by the group” of Labour councillors against Ms Cameron.
Following Ms Cameron’s suspension, the ruling Labour administration now only has ten councillors, less than one sixth of the 63 total members.
Separately, Ms Cameron will officially lose her job as housing convener on Thursday after comments she made about affordable housing, with Ms Meagher insisting there needs to be a “consistency of message” from the authority.
As first reported by The Scotsman, Ms Cameron told an event that she “would support … looking at relaxing the affordable housing percentage in order to try and encourage development to grow”.
Ms Meagher told The Scotsman that in the context of the housing emergency, partners “all need to know what the council's position is, including on affordable housing allocation”.
“We need to be absolutely crystal clear in knowing what our policies are,” she said. “I have got to make sure that my conveners are also crystal clear on these very important issues.”
The Scotsman understands the existing chairman of the IJB, which directs funding and policy for health and social care in the capital, has been lined up to replace her as housing convener.
Tim Pogson will face a vote from the full council to be appointed as the new housing convener on Thursday.
He works for Scotland’s Housing Network, a membership organisation of council housing services and housing associations as a service improvement manager.
Mr Pogson is also a board member of the Housing Options Scotland charity.
It is understood Conor Savage, who won the Colinton-Fairmilehead by-election earlier this year for Labour, is being lined up to become the IJB chairman.
Ms Cameron has been contacted for comment.
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