Goodbye Gibson

THIS has been a difficult month. My friend and mentor Gibson Macdonald died after a cruelly short illness.

Like a lot of people who retire after a hectic career, Gibson did not get the time to enjoy his years of leisure. There was so much he planned to do. Perhaps the trials and tribulations - as well as the sheer enthusiasm and enjoyment- he felt in running South Ayrshire Council as leade staved off the symptoms of his final illness. But when he was `put out to pasture` - his words - in May, the cancer took over.

Gibson Macdonald was a ruthless as well as natural-born politician -and one I had the pleasure of knowing for over 30 years, first when I was the council reporter for the Ayr Advertiser and latterly as a colleague. He was also my mentor. It was Gibson who suggested that I should run for the council when I retired from journalism and he supported me throughout all my campaigning. In fact the creation of this blog came out of a conversation with him. He helped me with the technical side of setting it up, but warned me -`Once you have set it up you have to keep it going. You can`t let your electorate down`. That could almost have been his epitaph.

Gibson loved politics, local politics in particular. He revelled in the challenge, the wheeling and dealing.He had an amazing knowledge of local government and his sharp intellect will be sorely missed. One could be tempted to say that the current stooshie over the exit of the Chief Executive might not have happened had Gibson been around and well enough to advise on the issues.

Though having said that . . .
Researching material for his obituary which I had the priviege of writing, I was looking up a book written by another prominent local politician,the late Councillor Alec Sloan of Coylton,father of my fellow councillor Sandra Goldie.In his memoirs Those WERE the Days he wrote openly and scathingly about the goings-on behind the scenes in the corridors of power.

In a chapter named The Day of the Long Knives he gives an account of the`ousting` of the then Kyle and Carrick Chief Executive John Hill, when a trio of Conservative councillors (one of them Gibson) decided that the post of Chief Executive should be abolished. After some pressure,in the end Mr Hill agreed to resign to allow the council to `restructure`. According to Councillor Sloan, Mr Hill received credited years allowing him his full pension. Plus ca change!

Throughout my newspaper career Labour always accused me of favouring the Toies but once Gibson famously called me into his office and accused me of siding with Labour. I got it from both sides so must have been doing something right!

Gibson Macdoanld was a gifted politician - one with a great sense of humour. He could also laugh at himself, something rare in local politics where people take themslves very seriously. He was devoted to his adopted home town of Ayr. He will be sorely missed.


ON the domestic side I have been dealing with matters down Maidens way. Their last community council lasted until 10.30pm and the room was packed with local folk - a sure sign that there is an issue of local concern. Two words - Ayrshire Housing. Affordable housing is going up on the site of the former community centre and there is a lot of local anxiety. A lot of old ground was gone over- why was the land, a prime site, sold for only £150,000 and why did the cash not come back into the village? Councils unfortunately don`t work like that. The main concern though was about who would be allocated the houses; a lot of people thought they should only go to local folk, maybe pensioners. I am going to try and get an officer from the appropriate department to come and speak to the next community council meeting and maybe allay some fears.

The idea of a Maidens cemetery has caught the local imagination and Cassillis Estates appear to be looking favourably of the idea of donating land. However there is still a long way to go and there is the thorny question of financial backing from the council in these cash-strapped time. I will keep you posted.