New Facts: No New Developments Reported

Highland Council’s SNP group has suspended a councillor over the taxi‑licence scandal, and the group leader has urged Councillor Birt to resign from the licensing committee, according to The Scotsman.

STV News says five male councillors voted to allow David Brown to keep driving taxis a month after the attack. STV reports Brown raped an 18‑year‑old in a layby in December 2023 after picking her up after a night out in Inverness.

Four councillors have resigned from the licensing committee that made the decision, STV News reports. The Herald, inkl and the John O’Groat Journal say councillors have also quit Highland Council itself, including Caithness councillor Willie Mackay.

A Liberal Democrat Highland councillor has been expelled from the party’s local group for backing the licence, The National reports. The Scotsman adds that within the SNP, a councillor has been suspended over the same vote.

Outlets differ on which licence was retained: STV News refers both to the operator’s licence and to the ability to “keep driving taxis,” while others describe it as the taxi driver’s licence. There is also a distinction between resignations from the licensing committee (STV counts four) and resignations from Highland Council (The Herald, inkl and the John O’Groat Journal confirm at least one full council departure).

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources