{{Short description|Scottish politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Use British English|date=October 2015}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Roddy McCuish | office = Leader of Argyll and Bute Council | term_start = 23 May 2013 | term_end = 26 September 2013 | predecessor = James Robb | successor = Dick Walsh | term_start1 = 22 May 2012 | term_end1 = 14 February 2013 | predecessor1 = Dick Walsh | successor1 = James Robb | office2 = Member of Argyll and Bute Council | constituency2 = Oban South and the Isles | term_start2 = 3 May 2007 | term_end2 = 5 May 2022 | predecessor2 = Ward created | successor2 = Willie Hume | birth_date = October 1954 | birth_place = Scotland | death_date = | death_place = | party = ISP (since 2021) <br/> Independent (2013 - 2021) | other_party = Scottish National Party (before 2013) }} '''Roderick William "Roddy" McCuish''' is a Scottish former politician who was an Argyll and Bute Councillor for the Oban South and the Isles ward from 2007 to 2022, having formerly been the leader twice, both with the Scottish National Party (SNP) and later as an independent. On 8 January 2021, it was announced that he had joined the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP), becoming their first representative holding political office<ref>{{Cite web|title=Independence for Scotland party welcomes its first elected representative|url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/18998967.independence-scotland-party-elects-first-representative/|date=9 January 2021|access-date=11 January 2021|website=The National|language=en}}</ref> until the 2022 Council election, when he did not seek re-election.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2022/04/11/take-back-control-from-council-officials-says-departing-depute-provost/ |access-date=1 June 2022|title=Councillors offer advice as they step down from long-standing roles |date=11 April 2022 }}</ref>
==Political career== McCuish first stood for election for the Oban South and the Isles ward in the 2007 Scottish Local Elections, polling 955 first preferences and topping the polling in the ward and taking the first seat out of four.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/sites/default/files/Argyll%20and%20Bute%20Council%20Results%202007.pdf |title=Argyll and Bute Council Results 2007 |website=www.argyll-bute.gov.uk |date=2007-05-04 |accessdate=}}</ref>
In advance of the 2012 Scottish Local Elections he was elected to replace his party colleague, Cllr Robert MacIntyre, as SNP Group Leader and Director of Elections.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://forargyll.com/?p=50397 |title=New local leader, Roddy McCuish, says SNP has moved from protest to progress |work=For Argyll |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref> At the 2012 Local Government election, McCuish polled 767 first preferences and was re-elected for the ward of Oban South and the Isle, taking the second seat in a ward where the SNP gained three out of the four seats, which at the time, was the party's strongest ward in all of Scotland.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/elections/results2012 |title=Argyll and Bute Council Election results 2012 |publisher=Argyll and Bute Council |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref> At the 2012 election, the SNP gained three seats in Argyll and Bute Council to have a total of thirteen, which with the help of the Argyll First group of Independents and some other Independent members gave them a controlling majority on the council, which McCuish was appointed as Council Leader.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cowalcourier.com/snpindependent-coalition-in-control-of-council/ |title=SNP/Independent coalition in control of council : Cowal Courier |website=www.cowalcourier.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140313070353/http://www.cowalcourier.com/snpindependent-coalition-in-control-of-council/ |archive-date=13 March 2014 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
In June 2012 McCuish intervened after the council had attempted to ban nine year old Martha Payne from blogging about her school dinners.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-18454800 |title=NeverSeconds blogger Martha Payne school dinner photo ban lifted |work=BBC News |date=15 June 2012}}</ref> The story had been reported globally, including his explanations of the actions taken by the council.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/16/world/europe/girl-9-gives-school-lunch-failing-grade.html?_r=0 |title=Girl, 9, Gives School Lunch Failing Grade |first=Ravi |last=Somaiya |work=New York Times |date=15 June 2012 |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref> McCuish considered that this episode had been a political disaster for Argyll and Bute Council, especially because it occurred so soon after the formation of the new administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://legacy.holyrood.com/2012/06/last-helping-of-neverseconds-as-mccuish-contemplates-political-disaster/ |title=Last helping of NeverSeconds as McCuish contemplates 'political disaster' |first=Paris |last=Gourtsoyannis |work=Holyrood |date=22 June 2012 |accessdate=18 October 2015 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
The coalition council of Independents, Argyll First, and the SNP did not last long, and McCuish fell out with the SNP because the SNP national executive would not let the SNP group in Argyll and Bute Council form a coalition with the Scottish Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/13125789.The_Highland_Line__democracy__Argyll_and_Bute_style/ |title=The Highland Line: democracy, Argyll and Bute style |first=David |last=Ross |work=The Herald |date=4 October 2013 |accessdate=17 October 2015}}</ref> McCuish resigned as council leader in February 2013<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.obantimes.co.uk/2013/02/14/new-council-leadership/ |title=New council leadership |work=Oban Times |date=14 February 2013 |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref> and, along with another councillor, he left the SNP party to sit as an independent. McCuish was re-elected as council leader in May 2013,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.buteman.co.uk/news/local-headlines/argyll-and-bute-council-leader-resigns-1-2927560 |title=Argyll and Bute Council leader resigns |first=Craig |last=Borland |work=The Buteman |date=13 May 2013 |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref> although he had no deputy leader and no clear administration.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/helensburghandlomond/articles/2013/10/18/475393-shambolic-argyll-and-bute-council-under-fire-after-audit/ |title='Shambolic' Argyll and Bute Council under fire after audit |work=Helensburgh Advertiser |date=18 Oct 2013}}</ref> His second stint was brief, only lasting until September 2013.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.holyrood.com/articles/interviews/renew-and-refresh-interview-dick-walsh |title=Renew and refresh: Interview with Dick Walsh |work=Holyrood |date=7 November 2013 |accessdate=18 October 2015}}</ref>
McCuish was re-elected to the same seat in the 2017 election.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.helensburghadvertiser.co.uk/news/15269791.Coalition_talks_begin_after_Argyll_and_Bute_election/ |title=Coalition talks begin after Argyll and Bute election |first=Craig |last=Borland |work=Helensburgh Advertiser |date=6 May 2017|accessdate=22 May 2017}}</ref>
On 8 January 2021 it was announced that he had joined the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP), after discussions with that party's founder Colette Walker.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.thenational.scot/news/18998967.independence-scotland-party-elects-first-representative/ | title=Independence for Scotland party welcomes its first elected representative | work=The National | date=8 January 2021 | accessdate=2021-03-31 }}</ref> In doing so, he became the first elected representative for the party, although he was elected as an independent. He did not seek re-election in May 2022.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.obantimes.co.uk/2022/04/11/take-back-control-from-council-officials-says-departing-depute-provost/ |access-date=1 June 2022|title=Councillors offer advice as they step down from long-standing roles |date=11 April 2022 }}</ref>
Hailing from Oban, a shinty heartland, he has been involved in the game for many years. Whilst never playing the sport, his connections to local government have made him a key figure in the game in the south region. Elected to the Camanachd Association board in 2020, he served the maximum six years on the board, a role he coupled with his presidency of the Macaulay Association, which is in charge of the Macaulay Cup and several youth competitions in the local area.
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/councillors/roddy-mccuish Roddy McCuish] Argyll & Bute Council
{{DEFAULTSORT:McCuish, Roddy}} Category:Living people Category:People from Oban Category:Scottish National Party councillors Category:Independent politicians in Scotland Category:Leaders of local authorities of Scotland Category:Councillors in Argyll and Bute Category:1954 births