Independent councillor Neil McLennan, originally elected as a Tory, has been carrying out his council duties while living in Cairo, Egypt, some 3,492 miles from his Moray ward, without telling constituents about the move.
McLennan has held a seat in the Buckie ward since the council elections in May 2022. He moved to Egypt without an announcement, and now answers constituent questions from Cairo. According to the councillors' eligibility test, a candidate only needs to live in the Moray area at the time of election, but must reside in the area once elected.
Role requires drop-in surgeries
One of the key roles of a councillor, according to the Moray Council website, is to “spend a great deal of time with constituents through holding drop-in surgeries”.
Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson told the BBC: "Councillor McLennan maintains he is still a representative of the Buckie ward though I understand he is currently working in Egypt.
"While he can still participate in some things online and undertake business, this is for Councillor McLennan to decide if he can properly represent his constituents while working in Egypt."
Second job in Cairo
In Cairo, McLennan is also working as a depute head at Malvern College, a British international school. His previous teaching post was at Nairn Academy.
Despite the move, McLennan has not given up his Buckie post, meaning he remains entitled to his annual £26,000 salary from Moray Council.
School posts and election timeline
McLennan appears in videos and photos introducing new staff ahead of children returning to school after their summer break. In a post uploaded by Malvern College in August, the politician, elected after an uncontested election with only three candidates standing for the ward seats, can be seen in the background of pictures from a staff introduction day held at the school in Cairo.
On September 1, McLennan appeared in a video posted by the school, looking excited about starting his new role. Term-time for Malvern officially started on September 6, as children attend school on Sundays in Egypt. On September 9, McLennan posted a picture of himself on Facebook in a car showroom in Cairo.
The next Moray Council election is scheduled for May 2027.
