Moray councillor continues to carry out council duties after moving to Egypt
Independent councillor Neil McLennan has held a seat in the Buckie and Findochty ward since May 2022.
**Moray councillor continues to carry out council duties after moving to Egypt**
Neil McLennan has continued to represent the Buckie ward despite living in Cairo
A Moray councillor has been continuing to perform his council duties while living nearly 3,500 miles away in Egypt.
Independent councillor Neil McLennan, who was originally elected to represent the Conservatives, has held a seat in the Buckie and Findochty ward since May 2022.
He is now listed and pictured as a deputy head in the secondary school leadership team on Malvern College's website and Facebook page, a British international school in Cairo.
Under Moray Council guidelines, councillors must live in the area when they are elected but do not have to remain there once in office.
However, one of the main responsibilities of a councillor, according to the council website, is to "spend a great deal of time with constituents through holding drop-in surgeries".
McLennan was elected as a Conservative councillor for Buckie in May 2022 after an uncontested election in which only three candidates stood for the ward seats.
He was co-leader of the local authority but left the Conservatives after two months to become an independent.
McLennan also stood as an independent candidate for the Banffshire and Buchan Coast constituency in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
His previous teaching post was at Nairn Academy.
It is understood McLennan moved in August and did not tell constituents about his move.
He will continue to be entitled to the annual £26,000 salary from Moray Council while he remains a councillor.
Moray Council leader Kathleen Robertson said: "Councillor McLennan maintains he is still a representative of the Buckie ward though I understand he is currently working in Egypt.
"While he can still participate in some things online and undertake business, this is for Councillor McLennan to decide if he can properly represent his constituents while working in Egypt."