An SNP councillor has been suspended by his party after voting to allow a convicted rapist to retain his taxi operator’s licence.
Councillor Suspended Following Controversial Vote
Highland Council’s SNP group confirmed that Councillor Chris Birt was suspended on Tuesday following growing criticism over a licensing committee decision involving convicted rapist David Brown.
The suspension comes after Birt was one of six male councillors who voted to take no action over Brown’s taxi operator’s licence despite the 50-year-old recently being jailed for raping an 18-year-old passenger.
SNP group leader Raymond Bremner confirmed the suspension, describing it as an internal party matter that would be dealt with under the group’s policies and procedures.
Earlier this week, Bremner had suggested Birt should resign from the Highland licensing committee following the departure of four other councillors involved in the decision.
Committee Decision Sparks Public Backlash
The controversial vote took place after Brown’s family asked the licensing committee to allow his operator’s licence to remain in place.
While Brown’s taxi driver’s licence – allowing him to drive passengers – had already been suspended in January 2024, his separate operator’s licence, which allows a vehicle to be run as a licensed taxi business, remained under consideration.
The committee’s six male members voted to allow the operator’s licence to continue, while its four female councillors voted against the proposal.
The decision prompted widespread criticism.
Four Councillors Step Down
Following the backlash:
- Sean Kennedy resigned as chairman of the licensing committee and left the Highland Independents group.
- John Grafton resigned from the committee and was suspended by the Scottish Liberal Democrat group.
- Duncan Macpherson resigned from the committee.
- Willie MacKay resigned from both the committee and Highland Council altogether.
The remaining councillor involved in the majority decision, Scottish Conservative Ruraidh Stewart, has also been asked to comment.
A Scottish Conservative spokesperson said the party did not support the committee’s decision.
The spokesperson added:
“Whatever the extenuating circumstances behind it, this vote has caused understandable anger and it would be appropriate for it to be reviewed.”
Birt Defends His Decision
In a statement issued earlier this week, Councillor Birt acknowledged the seriousness of Brown’s offending.
He said the committee had been presented with a case involving a taxi driver convicted of a “very serious offence”.
Birt also noted that Brown’s operator’s licence had only six months remaining before it could legally be renewed in another family member’s name.
However, he did not respond to calls for him to resign from the licensing committee.
Rapist Jailed for Attack on Teenage Passenger
Brown was sentenced by the High Court in Stirling just weeks before the licensing committee met.
The court heard that in December 2023, Brown picked up an 18-year-old woman following a night out in Inverness after she requested a journey home to her Highland village.
Instead of taking her home, Brown drove past her destination before stopping in a lay-by near a farm between Strathpeffer and Dingwall, where he raped her.
He later abandoned the teenager in Dingwall during sub-zero temperatures.
The sentencing judge described the incident as a “terrifying ordeal” for the young woman.
Brown, from Croy, near Inverness, denied rape and claimed the encounter had been consensual, but was found guilty by a jury following a three-day trial.
Decision to Be Reviewed
The decision to allow Brown’s taxi operator’s licence to continue will now be reviewed by a meeting of the full Highland Council.
