A LIST of the 21 elected members attending the first full Renfrewshire Council meeting since the Covid-19 crisis struck has been confirmed.

The meeting is scheduled to take place over Skype on Thursday but only half the usual number of councillors will be involved, in a bid to limit the number of potential technical issues.

It will be the first time any council group other than the emergencies board has met since mid-March and, for many elected members, it will be their first chance in months to raise questions publicly on the council’s response to the pandemic.

From the SNP group, the councillors attending will include Provost Lorraine Cameron and council leader Iain Nicolson, alongside Jim Paterson, Cathy McEwan, Jacqueline Cameron, Lisa-Marie Hughes, Marie McGurk, Andy Steel, John McNaughtan and John Shaw.

Labour group leader Eddie Devine will be attending with colleagues Jim Sheridan, Jim Harte, Jim Sharkey, Karen Kennedy and John Hood.

There will be three Conservative members at the meeting, consisting of group leader James MacLaren, Alistair Mackay and Neill Graham, while Independent member Andy Doig and Liberal Democrat councillor Eileen McCartin have also been included.

Council chiefs have said the list is subject to change.

The reduced attendance does mean some areas of Renfrewshire will be less strongly represented than others.

For example, residents in wards such as Johnstone North, Kilbarchan, Howwood and Lochwinnoch and Paisley Northwest will only have one councillor representing them at the meeting.

Meanwhile, all four Johnstone South and Elderslie councillors will be in attendance.

While meetings have been shut down, the emergencies board has been convening over a video conference every Friday to oversee and question all the activities of the council during the coronavirus crisis.

At full council, members will discuss whether scheduled board meetings in August and September – such as planning and education – can go ahead.

Members will also consider whether there should be any changes made to meetings of the emergencies board, such as whether they should be held over the summer or be more frequent.

Full council is scheduled to take place from 9.30am until 1pm on Thursday and, while the press and public will not be able to join the conference live, it will be broadcast on the council website shortly after its conclusion.

Read all the latest from Renfrewshire and beyond

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