Council chief blasts MacLaren for 'exceeding her authority'

CITY education leader Marilyne MacLaren has been rebuked by the council's chief executive for "exceeding her authority" by banning a parent from a public forum.

The move comes as the parent involved rejected an apology from the education leader.

Lynda Flex was banned by Cllr MacLaren from a group set up to discuss school closures after being wrongly accused of being the source of an Evening News report. Cllr MacLaren's actions were called into question in a report today into the matter by the council's chief executive Tom Aitchison. She is now to face opposition politicians at Thursday's full council meeting. If she does not make an "unreserved public apology", Labour and the Tories are known to be considering calling a vote of no confidence in her.

Although the Lib Dem/SNP administration can win the vote, it would be a severe embarrassment to the education leader. Cllr MacLaren is also awaiting the result of a complaint over her handling of the incident made to the Standards Commission, which has the power to ban councillors from public office for five years.

The city's Tory education spokesman Jeremy Balfour said: "If she does apologise, that's the end of the matter – if not, we will have to see what happens."

The cross-party group looking into the school rationalisation plans, set up last year, is made up of parent, teacher and church representatives and politicians.

Council leaders had hoped the discussions would remain confidential, and no reports or minutes have ever been made public.

After the Evening News printed a story in April which named the primary schools facing the axe, Cllr MacLaren accused Mrs Flex of leaking the information, falsely claiming she had "incontrovertible proof". But an internal council investigation recently ruled that no evidence existed, and concluded that Cllr MacLaren did not have the power to expel Mrs Flex.

Cllr MacLaren today declined to comment, due to the ongoing investigation. Mrs Flex also declined to comment.