East Lothian Courier | News | Charlie on comeback trail

Tuesday, 7th October, 2008

Published: Thursday, 10th April, 2008 09:00

Charlie on comeback trail

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• CHARLIE Ingle and his aunt Margaret Ingle are set to join Haddington Community Council

CONTROVERSIAL ex-councillor Charles Ingle is set to make a surprise comeback to public life.

The former council firebrand, who was suspended by East Lothian Council for 10 months for using threatening behaviour towards employees, is due be installed as one of two new members of Haddington and District Community Council.

The Courier understands that Mr Ingle, 48, and his paternal aunt, Margaret Ingle, will be elected onto the watchdog group unopposed at the April 24 community council elections.

Last Wednesday afternoon’s deadline for the lodging of nominations passed, with only 13 candidates standing for the 16 Haddington places.

The Ingles were the only two nominations received for the vacancies created by the departures of Norman Lawrie, David Motherwell, Effie Renton, Irene Pow and David Brunton.

Mr Ingle, whose colourful 13-year spell in local government ended with defeat at the polls in last May’s local authority elections, declared: “I hope to bring an experienced voice to community council business, though I have not missed being involved with East Lothian Council.

“I had a lot of problems with the authority – that is public knowledge,” said bachelor Mr Ingle, a keen gardener, beekeeper and birdwatcher.

“But given what’s happened to the likes of John Lindsay and others, I feel vindicated, and I am now starting again with a clean slate.”

In April 2006, a two-day hearing held by the Standards Commission for Scotland found Mr Ingle guilty of three breaches of the councillors’ code of conduct.

East Lothian Council bosses said they would not “tolerate, bullying harassment and intimidation” in the workplace and barred Mr Ingle from attending council and committee meetings until February 2007.

He was originally elected to the council as Labour member for Haddington East/Athelstaneford in 1997, having also served on the former Lothian Regional Council.

Mr Ingle, of Ross’s Close, was re-elected in May 2003 but, after a fall-out with the local Labour party, he became an independent – and still regularly attended community council meetings.

Last year, he stood unsuccessfully as an independent candidate for the new Haddington and Lammermuir ward under the new system of proportional representation.

He is currently secretary of Nungate Gala and Community Centre Association. Mrs Ingle, a retired shop assistant of Lynn Lea Avenue, is the Association’s chairwoman. She also serves on the Nungate Tenants and Residents Association and the East Lothian Tenants and Residents Panel.

Controversy, though, has continued to follow him on ‘civvy street’. At last year’s Nungate Gala, he was attacked with a plastic pipe after challenging a man who allowed his dog to foul the grass.

And in recent weeks, a confrontation with underage drinkers outside his flat led to his display of plant pots being wrecked and his wheely bin being set alight.

“With me, what you see is what you get,” he said. “If people see me as confrontational that’s their prerogative. However, I will continue to ask the hard questions of the local authority when they need to be asked.

“On the other hand, if the council is doing something good then I will be the first person to acknowledge that. I think I have mellowed a wee bit since my time on the council, but we will have to wait and see!”

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