"Is Councillor McCabe right man for leader?"

SNP Councillor Jim MacLeod's letter in today's Greenock Telegraph has caused much discussion in the Council buildings and beyond. He has certainly angered a number of people with his barbed comments.

For me it is water off a duck's back.

After all Jim has been having ago at me in The Greenock Telegraph for nearly 20 years. He has really only got under my skin once: when he effectively accused me of being a religious bigot. I was so angry about this that I phoned him up to give him a piece of my mind.

Jim has never been that well liked in political circles in Inverclyde - even among his SNP colleagues - and his latest diatribe probably won't help his popularity.

I have to admit however that in recent years - particularly since he joined the Council in 2007 - I have admired the way in which he has played an active role in the local community despite his disability. Representing the same ward, I know that he works very hard on behalf of his constituents.

One thing that did annoy me in his letter was the mention of the Operating Model difficulties. I have always taken my role as an employer extremely seriously, and it is simply not right for elected members to be making public comment about this matter when we are in the midst of a disciplinary process. If he genuinely thinks that there have been failings in political leadership he will have the opportunity in the near future to debate this with me.

If however he is using failings at an operational level to score political points, when his group fully supported the policy direction behind the Operating Model, that is wholly unacceptable.