SNP Councillor Suspended After Vote on Taxi Driver's Licence
The SNP group on Highland Council has suspended councillor Chris Birt following his vote to allow a convicted rapist taxi driver to retain his operator's licence.
Chris Birt was among six male councillors who voted against taking action on David Brown's licence after Brown, aged 50, was imprisoned for the sexual assault of an 18-year-old female passenger.
Raymond Bremner, leader of the SNP group at Highland Council, confirmed that Birt's suspension occurred on Tuesday.
Bremner had previously suggested that Birt should resign from the Highland licensing committee after four other councillors resigned in protest.
Resignations Follow Controversial Vote
Four councillors resigned from the licensing committee following the vote that allowed the convicted taxi driver to keep his operator's licence.
The decision was widely criticised for sending a "harmful message" regarding public safety and accountability.
Bremner told BBC Scotland News that Birt's suspension was an internal matter and would be managed according to the SNP group's policies and procedures.
Birt has been contacted for comment but has not yet responded.
Earlier this week, Birt issued a statement acknowledging the seriousness of the case presented to the committee, which involved a taxi driver convicted of a "very serious offence." He noted that Brown's operator's licence had six months remaining before it could be renewed under the name of another family member.
Birt did not address calls for his resignation from the licensing committee.
Voting Breakdown and Committee Impact
Last month, after a request from Brown's family, the six male councillors on the committee voted in favour of allowing Brown's operator's licence to continue, while the four female councillors voted against the motion.
Following the vote, Sean Kennedy, chairman of the committee, along with John Grafton, Duncan Macpherson, and Willie MacKay resigned from the committee in protest.
Willie MacKay also resigned as a councillor, and John Grafton was suspended by the Scottish Liberal Democrat group on Highland Council.
Sean Kennedy resigned from the Highland Independents group on the local authority.
The sixth councillor involved in the vote, Scottish Conservative Ruraidh Stewart, has been approached for comment.
Background on Licence Suspension and Court Case
David Brown's taxi driver's licence, which permits him to drive, had been suspended in January 2024 after details of his offences became public.
His operator's licence, which allows his vehicle to be used as a taxi business, was the subject of the committee's recent decision.
The committee's ruling on the operator's licence is scheduled for review at a full council meeting.
The Highland licensing committee considered Brown's operator's licence just weeks after his sentencing at the High Court in Stirling.
In December 2023, the court heard that Brown had picked up an 18-year-old woman who had been out in Inverness and wanted to return to her Highland village.
Instead of taking her to her destination, Brown drove past it and stopped in a lay-by near a farm located between Strathpeffer and Dingwall, where he sexually assaulted her.
He subsequently left her in Dingwall amid sub-zero temperatures. The judge described the experience as a terrifying ordeal for the teenager.
Brown, from Croy near Inverness, denied rape and claimed the sexual encounter was consensual, but a jury found him guilty after a three-day trial.
Councillor resigns after row over rapist taxi driver's licence decision
