A SENIOR Dunfermline councillor has called for a change of culture in politics after claiming that her Labour “partners” are the worst bullies she has experienced.

Fay Sinclair, who has just stepped down as convener of Fife Council’s Education and Children’s Services committee, made the comments on social media over the weekend.

The SNP councillor for Dunfermline South said bullying was “sadly accepted” in local government. In Fife, the SNP and Labour are the ruling parties in a joint administration.

She tweeted: “Victims are told to have thicker skin rather than bullies be challenged.

“I’ve experienced this first hand. My Labour ‘partners’ have been the worst. I’m no longer prepared to just quietly take it. Bullies don’t deserve my respect.”

Speaking to the Press, Cllr Sinclair said major change was required.

“I think there is a culture within politics generally, but locally as well, in that if you want to be an elected member, you have got to expect to take abuse and I would say that should not be the case,” she said.

“I have witnessed a lot of this over the last few years.

“Being in quite a high profile position, I have been the focus of negativity and nastiness and it had got to the point where I wanted to say enough is enough.”

She continued: “I take the roles I have had as a councillor very seriously.

“I understand the responsibility that people place trust in you so I am always prepared to set out reasoning and defend any decision I make. But when people tell lies about you and spread things to whip up what can at times be hate, that can be quite difficult.”

Cllr Sinclair cited the education committee’s decision to re-zone Rosyth primary children to Inverkeithing High instead of Dunfermline as one example.

“It was quite a challenging time for the catchment re-zoning and I am aware of people of other political persuasions who told lies about me and who suggested my children were at a school that was impacted,” she said.

“I was then getting members of the public contacting me quite late into the evening demanding to know where my kids went to school.

“I had my name put on posters around Rosyth as being responsible for the unpopular decision.

“I don’t think that’s something anyone should have to deal with.

“I have not made a formal complaint because there’s a culture that you are supposed to have thick skin and tough it out.

“I have had people say lies in council chambers and raised that with the chief executive and asked for the member to be corrected.

“We want people to come forward and represent their communities and get involved and we need to challenge this culture or we are not going to attract people who want to make that difference.”

Fife Council co-leader and Labour group leader, Councillor David Ross, said he was “flabbergasted” by Cllr Sinclair’s Twitter comments and said no complaints over bullying had come to him.

“Bullying and harassment has no place in politics at any level,” he said.

“Legitimate challenge of policy or performance of senior councillors is an essential part of an open and transparent local democratic system and I hope this is not an attempt to stifle that challenge by trying to claim it is bullying or harassment.

“I contacted the council’s chief executive immediately after these claims were brought to my attention.

“He has responded to me that he is not aware of any specific complaints against any individual Labour elected member having been raised with him.

“Any substantiated cases of bullying should be properly dealt with.

“The statements made by Cllr Sinclair, which in effect accuse every Labour councillor on the council of bullying behaviour, are also unacceptable.

“Unfortunately mud sticks.

“I will be seeking an apology from Cllr Sinclair and am considering making a complaint to the standards commissioner about the remarks she has made.”

Fife Council’s head of legal and democratic services, Morag Ferguson, said councillors follow a national code of conduct which is enforced by the Standards Commission for Scotland.

“As a council we don’t tolerate bullying and would encourage anyone to report any incidents so the appropriate action can be taken,” she added.