Danny Molloy To Quit Council

Councillor Danny Molloy is to resign from Midlothian Council after 30 years of service, in the wake of a damning report on the state of the council’s social work department.

The 54-year-old councillor for Dalkeith Eskbank refused to comment on the report but admitted there were links between his departure and the recent HMIe inspection into child protection services in the county, which highlighted staff shortages and child care failings within the division.

Councillor Molloy said he was originally planning to be a candidate for the May elections but is now to step down. As his departure was not foreseen before the October deadline for severance pay applications, he will not be receiving the up to £20,000 golden handshake being awarded this year to retiring councillors.

Last week Councillor Molloy resigned as the cabinet member for social work, health and housing and as depute council leader after the report was made public.

Councillor Molloy will also be relinquishing his six year membership of the board of NHS Lothian at the same time as he resigns as a council member, as well as the chair of the Community Health Partnership.

He said: “I have enjoyed my 30 years with the council. I have made many friends over that period of time and I would still like to continue in some form of community work, particularly in the Dalkeith area which I have represented for that period. That depends on the type of work I get between now and retirement in 11 years time.”

Danny Molloy lives in Woodburn and is married to Mara. The couple have a married 28-year-old son who lives in Musselburgh and a 23-year-old daughter, who is currently a student nurse. Danny hails originally from Donegal, Ireland, and first came to Scotland at the age of 15 when his family settled in Easthouses.

He became a Dalkeith councillor at the young age of 24 and chaired the leisure and recreation committee for 12 years within the former Midlothian District Council; he was also Vice Convener for four years and Convener for a four year period.

He was appointed Provost of the new Midlothian Council from 1996 to 1999. Between 1999 and 2000 he was convener of the social services committee and later, cabinet member from September 2000 to January 2007. He held the post of depute leader of the council from May 2003.

Before the reorganisation of local government in 1995, when council members became full-time, he also worked at the former Usher’s Brewery in Edinburgh.

Councillor Molloy added: “I would like to thank my constituents for all the help and support they have given me over the last 30 years.”