Ruraidh Stewart resigns from Licensing Committee

Skye Councillor Ruraidh Stewart has resigned from Highland Council’s Licensing Committee, Radio Skye understands.

Mr Stewart is one of six councillors who voted in June for rapist David Brown to keep his taxi operator’s license.

A full meeting of the local authority on Tuesday decided that five members of the committee will face a motion of no confidence vote next month. The sixth member, Willie MacKay, has already stood down as a councillor. Mr Stewart was not present at Tuesday’s meeting.

Radio Skye has repeatedly tried to contact Mr Stewart for comment. He has not responded.

Cllr Ruraidh Stewart hasn’t replied to Radio Skye’s requests for comment.

Speaking to Radio Skye, Council Convener, Bill Lobban said:

“Cllr Stewart has informed me of his resignation during a phone call. However it appears that Council officials may not have received written confirmation of his resignation. I am prepared to accept if Cllr Stewart has told me he has resigned, then that is indeed the case.”

Tuesday’s special meeting had originally been called after the Council’s Chief Officer for Legal and Corporate Governance referred the Licensing Committee’s decision back to the full Council for further consideration on the grounds of possible “contravention of law” or “maladministration leading to injustice”.

However, the meeting’s purpose changed after David Brown surrendered his two taxi operator licences on Monday 3 August.

The meeting continued in public, with councillors instead asked to consider an urgent motion from Cllr Lobban.

The motion stated:

“This Council supports the decision of the Chief Officer Legal and Governance to bring the decision taken by Licensing Committee on 23 June 2026 to a special meeting of the Highland Council for further consideration.

“The surrender of these licences today (3 August 2026) means that they immediately ceased to have effect and consequently there is no decision for the special Council to reach today. We nevertheless wish it to be made known that this unprecedented action was justified.”

David Brown, from Croy, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in May after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

The court heard Brown picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her intended destination before taking her to a remote location between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The victim said Brown had agreed to take her home despite her not having enough money for the fare.

He pulled into a lay-by near a farm, where he attacked her.

Police were later able to establish the route Brown had taken using the tracker system fitted to his taxi.

Five Highland councillors face no confidence motion over decision to allow convicted rapist taxi driver David Brown to keep licences

Five Highland councillors who voted in favour of taking no action against convicted rapist taxi driver David Brown’s operator licences are set to face a motion of no confidence.

The move was announced by Highland Council Convener Cllr Bill Lobban during a special meeting of The Highland Council on Tuesday 4 August.

Cllr Lobban said the motion will be brought against councillors Sean Kennedy, Chris Birt, Duncan Macpherson, John Grafton and Ruraidh Stewart. The vote will take place at the next full council meeting in September.

The five councillors were among six members of the Licensing Committee who voted on 23 June to take no action against Brown’s two taxi operator licences.

The sixth councillor who voted in favour, Willie Mackay, has already stood down as a councillor.

The special meeting had originally been called after the Council’s Chief Officer for Legal and Corporate Governance referred the Licensing Committee’s decision back to the full Council for further consideration on the grounds of possible “contravention of law” or “maladministration leading to injustice”.

However, the meeting’s purpose changed after David Brown surrendered his two taxi operator licences on Monday 3 August.

Members were told there was no longer a legal basis to reconsider the original decision, as the licences had immediately ceased to have effect.

The meeting continued in public, with councillors asked to consider an urgent motion from Cllr Lobban.

The motion stated:

“This Council supports the decision of the Chief Officer Legal and Governance to bring the decision taken by Licensing Committee on 23 June 2026 to a special meeting of the Highland Council for further consideration.

“The surrender of these licences today (3 August 2026) means that they immediately ceased to have effect and consequently there is no decision for the special Council to reach today. We nevertheless wish it to be made known that this unprecedented action was justified.”

The motion was agreed at 11.06am.

Speaking after the vote, Cllr Lobban described the situation as the culmination of a “disturbing episode” for the Council, calling it “shameful” and “incomprehensible”.

He said he had every confidence that, had the full Council been given the opportunity to consider the Licensing Committee’s original decision, members would have overturned it.

Cllr Lobban said:

“Clearly, we as a Council must reconsider how we deal with licensing within the boundaries of the law and those discussions will be ongoing as a matter of urgency.”

He also said attention must remain on the victim at the centre of the case.

“It is important that we remember that at the heart of this matter, there is a victim. I fear at times there may have been a lack of attention or focus on them in recent weeks. Our sympathies lie with the victim in this case and the significant stress that the consequences of the original decision will ultimately have on them.”

The case against David Brown

David Brown, from Croy, was sentenced to six years and nine months in prison in May after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman in December 2023.

He was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

The court heard Brown picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her intended destination before taking her to a remote location between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

The victim said Brown had agreed to take her home despite her not having enough money for the fare.

He pulled into a lay-by near a farm, where he attacked her.

Police were later able to establish the route Brown had taken using the tracker system fitted to his taxi.

Licensing Committee decision

The Licensing Committee considered Brown’s operator licences on 23 June.

Members voted six to four in favour of taking no action, meaning Brown was allowed to retain his licences.

The councillors who voted in favour were:

• Sean Kennedy
• Willie Mackay
• Chris Birt
• Duncan Macpherson
• John Grafton
• Ruraidh Stewart

Those who voted against were:

• Jackie Hendry
• Lyndsey Johnston
• Emma Knox
• Kate MacLean

Following the decision, several councillors stepped away from the Licensing Committee.

The SNP group on Highland Council suspended councillor Chris Birt after it emerged he was one of the six members who voted in favour of taking no action.

Mr Birt, who represents Wester Ross, Strathpeffer and Lochalsh, remains a member of hte Licensing Committee.

Conservative group leader Ruraidh Stewart, who represents Eilean a’ Cheò, was also among those who voted in favour and remains on the Licensing Committee.

Radio Skye has contacted both Mr Birt and Mr Stewart for comment.

Skye SNP councillor Drew Millar had previously voted against suspending Brown’s operator’s licence in January 2024, before Brown’s conviction. However, he was no longer a member of the Licensing Committee by the time of the June vote.

Highland Council set to hold licensing meeting on rapist David Brown in private

A full Highland Council meeting to discuss the decision to grant rapist David Brown a taxi operator’s licence is likely to be held in private.

The special session will see all 74 councillors in attendance on Tuesday 4 August. But it is likely members will vote to discuss the matter behind closed doors.

A council spokesperson told Radio Skye, “Items are only heard in private if there is a legal reason to do so, including, for example, where confidential or exempt information is included.”

Members will consider the decision taken by the Licensing Committee in June to take no action over the licence held by Brown.

The move meant his taxi operator’s licence was retained so his wife could continue the business despite his conviction.

Brown was sentenced to six years and nine months in jail in May after he was found guilty of raping an 18-year-old in December 2023.

He picked up the woman in Inverness after a night out and drove past her destination before attacking her in a remote spot between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

David Brown was sentenced in May

Brown, from Croy, was convicted at the High Court in Edinburgh in April and sentenced at the High Court in Stirling a month later.

A council spokesperson said:

“We recognise and understand the high level of public interest in this and are committed to being as transparent as possible about the process and outcome of the meeting, while complying with legislation.”

The Licensing Committee vote last month was also held in private.

Members voted six to four to take no action over Brown’s licence on 23 June. Of the six, four have resigned from the committee, with one councillor quitting the local authority altogether.

Skye Conservative councillor Ruraidh Stewart was one of the six. He hasn’t stood down from the committee. Radio Skye has contacted him for comment. Skye SNP councillor Drew Millar voted in January 2024 against suspending Brown’s operator’s licence before his conviction, but was no longer on the committee by June this year.

Full list of councillors who voted for and against rapist David Brown to keep his taxi operator’s licence:

FOR

• Sean Kennedy
• Willie Mackay
• Chris Birt
• Duncan Macpherson
• John Grafton
• Ruraidh Stewart

AGAINST

• Jackie Hendry
• Lyndsey Johnston
• Emma Knox
• Kate MacLean

Meanwhile Highland Council has advertised for a solicitor to manage its licensing legal advice. The local authority is offering between £57,948 and £63,390 for the post.