THE former leader of the opposition on East Lothian Council has quit as a councillor after launching a scathing attack on his “heartless” former Conservative colleagues.

Brian Small, 59, tendered his resignation as a ward councillor for Haddington and Lammermuir on Tuesday after accusing the Conservative Group he used to lead of “letting down those who voted for them” and forming an “unofficial coalition” with Labour.

And the retired businessman, one of seven Tory councillors elected to the local authority in 2017, has claimed his own party kicked him off three council committees without any consultation – despite him being signed off due to ill health.

“The Conservative Group is meant to be the opposition, but their actions in recent times and in particular the recent budget are more reminiscent of a coalition partner – that to me is wholly unacceptable,” he said.

He added: “I am currently fighting the curse of depression and anxiety, which has primarily been triggered by me trying to be a good, conscientious councillor, representing not just the people in my ward but throughout the wonderful county that is East Lothian.

“In spite of me dealing with this illness on top of my [previous] sepsis episode, my political group, led by Councillor Jane Henderson, have seen fit to remove me from various committees without any consultation with me.

“To treat someone who is struggling with serious mental illness in such a heartless manner is beyond my personal comprehension. I cannot countenance working with people who could operate in such a manner.”

Mr Small's full resignation letter can be read here.

Before he quit, the local authority had nine Labour, seven Conservative and six SNP councillors. There will now be a by-election, possibly in May.

Mr Small said problems began after he became aware that minority administrations at other councils in Scotland did not have a cabinet – a small group of administration councillors authorised to take decisions on behalf of the council.

He claimed council officials did not make it clear to newly elected councillors that there was no need for a cabinet and they could oppose it.

The council has insisted all new members received a “very comprehensive induction programme”.

When he raised the issue with the Labour Group, he claimed it sparked a wave of “underhand” actions against him.

He alleges he was ostracised for merely being seen talking to the SNP Group leader in a bid to find common ground as party politics, he felt, was being put ahead of the best interests of constituents.

And he said his own group appeared to put a “desire to oppose the SNP Group” above any need to target those in charge.

He said: “I was a voice in the wilderness.”

Mr Small said he had “perhaps naively” taken the role believing the Tories would be an effective opposition to the minority Labour administration.

And he said that since he was signed off with depression he had continued to be put under pressure, with the group voting to remove him from committees, forcing him to take the decision to walk away.

Mr Small was informed by email last month that his group had agreed to take him off the education committee. He says he objected to the decision but had his requests to be reinstated rejected. He then received a voice message on his mobile phone to tell him that they had taken him off the audit and governance and policy and performance review committees – both committees set up to scrutinise the activities of the local authority.

Mr Small’s allegations were put to the Conservative Group by the Courier.

In a statement, Councillor Jane Henderson, group leader, said: “I was disappointed to receive notice of Brian’s resignation. We always gave Brian our support – whether it was as group leader, a member of our team on the council, or when he informed us he would be taking time off due to ill health.

“The Scottish Conservative Group on East Lothian Council will continue to do what we’ve always done – provide a rigorous opposition to the administration while standing up for the views of local residents.

“So far we have delivered a huge increase in capital investment in our roads, maintained the ‎three per cent cap on council tax rises in future years, and secured a number of other material commitments.

“I want to thank Brian for his work on the council and wish him well for the future.”

Tim Jackson, chairman of East Lothian Scottish Conservative & Unionist Association, added: “I want to thank Brian for all the work he has done for the Scottish Conservatives, and everyone in the association wishes him a full recovery. Our party’s representation and commitment to the Haddington and Lammermuir ward has been long-standing, and we look forward to continuing that after the upcoming by-election. We will now begin the process for selecting our candidate and can’t wait to get back out on the doorsteps to talk to local residents.”

Councillor Willie Innes (Lab), the council leader, said: “It is very sad news concerning the resignation of Councillor Brian Small and I would like to take this opportunity to wish him and his family well in the future.”

Councillor Stuart Currie, SNP Group leader, expressed his regret at the decision by Mr Small whom he described as a courteous professional who always put his constituents first. Mr Currie called for an independent review of his decision to resign given some of the issues he had raised.

He said: “I am really sorry to hear about Brian’s decision to step down as a local councillor. In the time I have known him he has always been courteous, professional and put his constituents first which I know has been welcomed by his constituents. Whilst we probably agree on very little politically I have always had a huge amount of respect on a personal level. I am sorry that good people like Brian have felt they could not continue. I wish him all the best for the future on behalf of the SNP group of councillors.”

East Lothian Council chief executive Angela Leitch added: “I’d like to thank Brian for his service to East Lothian Council and his constituents in the Haddington and Lammermuir ward. I know colleagues from around the council will join me in thanking Brian and wishing him and his family well for the future. The role of an elected member is both rewarding and challenging and we recognise the commitment people make when they put themselves forward for elected office.”

A council spokesperson said: “Following the May 2017 council elections, a very comprehensive induction programme was held for all elected members. This provided an opportunity to explain procedures including statutory requirements and the appointment of committees.

"At the first meeting of the full council following the elections, elected members considered and approved the governance structure of the council. Nominations for membership were sought for committees and as part of this a cabinet was duly appointed in line with agreed procedure.

“For some considerable time the council has been working very hard with the Lothians Racing Syndicate to secure the future of Musselburgh Racecourse, a much-loved local venue which is greatly valued by the local community and racing fraternity.

"A cross-party working group unanimously agreed that procuring a third-party operator would enable the racecourse to continue to develop as a leading horseracing venue.

"Working with a number of parties, tremendous progress has been made towards a successful future for the racecourse. This has been recognised by the BHA in granting an extension to its operating licence. We look forward to making further progress.”