The SNP’s former Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning submitted a letter to the Advertiser this week in which he claimed local government was missing accountability.

However, Helensburgh and Lomond South councillor Ellen Morton, depute leader of the council, hit back saying modern technology means councillors are more accessible to people ‘than ever before’ .

She added that the new administration – which replaced the SNP regime – has increased the powers of area committees.

Mr Russell said: “The law requires councils to have local decision making in place but Argyll and Bute sidesteps that by taking more and more decisions away from the area committees. I think it is time that we reversed that situation.

“What if, as a start at least, Argyll and Bute transferred all local decisions to the area committees including ones on provision and delivery of education and planning. Only strategic issues that effect the whole area should be made at Kilmory.

“The vast majority of officials there should also be transferred to the four areas – Helensburgh and Lomond, Cowal, Mid Argyll and Kintyre, Oban North and Lorn – which would function like the old burghs, making and carrying out decisions which directly affect the people who live there. Community Councils in the outlying parts could even take on some of those responsibilities as well.

“The criteria to be applied would be subsidiarity; that principle which demands that decisions are usually made at the level closest to those affected by them. There is nothing to stop Argyll and Bute organising itself in that way immediately.” In response, Cllr Morton said Helensburgh and Lomond councillors already decide where the local roads budget will be spent; have responsibility for the town centre regeneration project; and are involved plans for future projects, such as the improvements to the pier-head. These issues are discussed at local meetings which anyone can attend.

Cllr Morton added that Mr Russell’s comments on education were ‘astonishing’ given his former post as Cabinet Secretary for Education, and the Scottish Government has centralised decision making on almost all education matters.

She added: “Beyond that, however, local decisions are taken at the most local of levels – through head teachers and parent councils. I doubt parents would appreciate their decision making power being removed and given to their local councillors or that teaching unions would endorse the removal of powers from head teachers.” Cllr Morton added: “What Mr Russell fails to address at all is how his vision would actually work in practice – just how much more would the additional layers of bureaucracy cost? Would we have four chief executives with consequent increase in costs? If the role of local authorities in the education system was such a problem why didn’t Mr Russell do something to change it in his five years in control of Scottish education? Perhaps he could have used some of the £165 million of the education budget that he didn’t spend last year to fix this problem?

“Can anyone think of just one good thing that Mr Russell has done to promote Argyll and Bute for the benefit of its people – if he has spare time and energy he could try doing something beneficial for the people of Argyll.” Darrel Hendrie, convener of Helensburgh Community Council, said Mr Russell made some ‘interesting points’ regarding local decision making.

He said: “We have in the past seen some important decisions made about Helensburgh by councillors from other areas like mid Argyll. Helensburgh has a different character and different needs to other parts of Argyll and Bute.

“Local decisions that affect local people should be made by local councillors who are answerable to the local electorate. Therefore if they can be voted out if they get it wrong. The people of Helensburgh have no way of voting out a councillor from Oban, for example. The local area committee should be given more powers and a bigger budget.

“Another alternative would be to break up Argyll and Bute council and have a separate Helensburgh and Lomond council. That way all the money raised through council tax in this area would be spent in this area, instead of being a subsidy to the rest of Argyll and Bute.”