This week's Councillor Column is written by Richard Trail, SNP councillor for Helensburgh and Lomond South.

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The council meeting last week was an unedifying display of disunity.

The new administration started off their term of office with a show of trying to reach across the political divide. The experience of last week’s meeting was more akin to trench warfare. It may not have equalled Prime Minister’s Questions, but it is shaping up that way.

There was no willingness to engage with the opposition groups to reach a consensus on items on which we pretty much agree. This leads to division and heated arguments over how many fairies can dance on the head of a pin.

The preferred tactic for the administration to trip up the opposition is to present long verbose motions at the last minute.

At Thursday’s meeting a three-page motion was presented outlining the administration’s priorities for the next five years. A request for an adjournment for us all to read and consider this lengthy motion was refused by the provost.

This was a singular decision taken by the provost after the council leader had clearly signalled that she considered an adjournment unnecessary.

The council normally conducts its debates in an atmosphere of mutual respect amongst councillors. Occasionally individual councillors will get a little heated and robust exchanges may lead to the use of language that is inappropriate in the chamber.

At moments like these the provost intervenes and calls for restraint and a retraction of the offending words. The council was astonished last Thursday when the Provost himself uttered some un-parliamentary language about the SNP group leader.

It was an astonishing breach of protocol. Is this a portent of how the administration intends to conducts its business over the next five years?

Councillors squabbling, so what’s new? This is the early days of a new administration and the behaviour in the council meeting sets the tone for future conduct of business.

While disagreements on issues do arise, they are not common. This is hardly surprising as we are all striving to make improvements in the delivery of council services for the benefit of the people in the council area.

A council that is divided on tribal lines does not give confidence that long term transformation can be successfully planned and delivered.

And transformation is needed if the council is to both manage its ever decreasing budget and continue to deliver services that meet the expectations of the people.