Moray councillor Shona Morrison wins vote for top Cosla job
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A Moray councillor has been elected president of Cosla – the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
Shona Morrison will become the first ever SNP president of the organisation which represents the interests of the 32 local councils across Scotland.
Cllr Morrison received 66 of 131 votes after independent members of the convention voted in her favour.
Speaking afterwards, she said: "I am honoured to be elected president of Cosla and excited to take on this opportunity in one of the top political jobs in Scotland.
"I look forward to continuing the progress which has already been made on a cross-party basis over the last five-year term.
"I am clear about the pressures faced by local government and the challenges and opportunities ahead.
"This is an important job and a challenge I will relish and give my all to.
"I am a politician and a member of a political party. However, my focus in this role will be on the ‘team local government’.
"Working with the vice-president and the spokespeople at Cosla, I’m confident we will deliver on our key priorities as we work together to be the voice for local councils and champion the essential services they continue to provide under increasingly challenging circumstances."
On Moray Council since 2017, cllr Morrison was recently returned as one of three members for the Fochabers/Lhanbryde ward during the local elections in May.
She is also the co-leader of the SNP group on the council, and served as the local authority's convenor during the last administration.
A statement from the Labour group on Moray Council welcomed cllr Morrison's appointment, but also made some political points.
It said: "We wish her well in her new role.
"Councillor Morrison will be well aware that Moray has been short-changed by the Scottish Government for years, receiving among the lowest funding per-head from central government.
"We hope that Councillor Morrison’s first priority will be getting a better funding deal for Moray, and that she will speak-out against the SNP Government if they fail to deliver a fairer deal for communities like ours."
