CONSERVATIVE councillors have said they were “outraged” by the behaviour of their political rivals after tensions at the last Renfrewshire Council meeting threatened to boil over.

The group have written a letter to Provost Lorraine Cameron, expressing “very grave concerns” about specific comments made by SNP members at the summit on Thursday, June 30.

They have called for a “robust investigation” of their complaint, which covered frustrations over the manner in which the meeting was managed, comparisons that they deemed offensive, and “insults” they believe were “defamatory”.

Councillor Alec Leishman, the group’s depute leader, said in the correspondence: “To avoid any confusion or doubt, we simply must complain in very strong terms about the full council meeting that took place on Thursday, June 30.

“The overall conduct of this meeting and some very specific comments have left us both astonished and outraged.

“As a group, we have some very grave concerns over the behaviours and defamatory comments that we witnessed during the meeting.

“We dearly hope that this is not the standard of debate we ought to expect over the upcoming five years and that you will carry out a robust investigation of our complaint.”

The letter claimed the meeting was “loosely controlled” and discipline of the behaviour of elected members was “very arbitrary”.

It mentioned comments from SNP council leader Iain Nicolson — which criticised a Labour motion and made references to South American juntas, present-day Russia and Trumpism — and party colleague Will Mylet, who accused his opponents of “wanting to kill people” during a debate on independence.

Councillor Mylet was told to watch his language by the provost after claiming Labour and Conservative parties were “more than happy” to plough cash into nuclear weapons and have “the ability to commit genocide”.

He said: “You want to kill people, you don’t want to feed people. That’s the difference and that’s what I want to change.”

The Paisley East and Central member also took aim at Conservative austerity, saying: “This amounts to no more than the murder of the people that you’re here to look after.”

Councillor Leishman described Councillor Mylet’s words as “utterly unacceptable” and felt the warning issued at the time was “delivered in the softest possible terms”.

He wrote to the provost: “Such comments do not belong in the public sphere of reasoned and civilised debate and we will not tolerate repeat incidences of this.

“Although you did rebuke Councillor Mylet for speaking thus, we believe that the rebuke was made only under pressure from opposition councillors and that it was delivered in the softest possible terms, not at all proportionate to the disgracefulness of the transgression.”

When contacted by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Provost Cameron said: “I would respond to any correspondence received from any of the political parties, promptly. I cannot, however, respond to a letter that has not been received by me via either electronic or hard copy.

“Member conduct at meetings is entirely of their own will. I have repeatedly informed members during my time as provost that they are responsible for their own words and actions, and if they conduct themselves in a manner contrary to the code of conduct, they may find themselves the subject of a report to the Standards Commission.

“I am not their mother, I am the convener of the council and it is my job to facilitate the business of the council at that meeting.

“If the Conservative party have issues with my position it would be helpful if they first raise them with me.”