The convener of the education committee, pictured, came in for heavy criticism on Tuesday when his rivals challenged his commitment to the
job and called for him to resign.

The row came at the end of a nightmare five days for the town hall newcomer elected as an independent in Denny and Banknock last May.

Last Friday he failed to attend a site visit by the regulatory committee that he had asked for, and on Tuesday he took more flak for missing a meeting of a working group assessing the way primary pupils make the move to secondary education might be improved.

Grangemouth councillor Angus MacDonald claimed Mr Waddell's non-attendance is now a "regular occurance" and the SNPs shadow convener of education, Councillor Tom Coleman, challenged him to "accept" his responsibilities.

When Mr Waddell claimed "diary commitments" were to blame and offered to produce his schedule to prove it, Mr Coleman fired back: "We don't want to see your diary, we want to see you at meetings. Every councillor has commitments, but you have to accept the responsibility of education services convener or step aside."

Yesterday (Wednesday) Mr Waddell said: "I'm learning as a councillor that sometimes you have to be five places at once. It's true I asked for the planning application in Paris Avenue in Denny to go to a site visit and fully expected to be there.

"However, I was only given two days notice of the visit and had already arranged to be in Perth for a meeting with Cosla to discuss early years education, a subject as convener of education I have a huge interest in.

"When I learned of the clash of dates I immediately contacted the convener of the regulatory committee to apologise in advance for my non-attendance and expressed my concerns over the issue to colleagues who were able to be there.

"There was a clash of times, but it was unavoidable because the arrangement for Perth had been made a month before.

"The situation last Thursday was also not helped by the timetabling of other meetings. A 10 a.m. briefing meeting of members by development services was followed by a briefing meeting in McLaren House with officers and my fellow members of the administration at 11.30 a.m.

"This delayed the start of the sites visits.

"I feel I have acted entirely appropriately by appraising the convener of my situation in this instance and have no regrets or concerns regarding my professionalism and my behaviour.

"Regarding my commitment to the education and leisure services committee and the people of Denny and district who elected me, I can say without reservation it is unbounded.

"I am involved with 14 council committees and six external committees and occassionally, when meetings conflict, I have to make a decision as to which one to attend.
"I try to arrange a substitute when I can and
I never miss meetings intentionally."
He told his critics: "I have not resigned. I take my position as convener very seriously.
"The number of meetings I have been unable to attend is a very small percentage in relation to the amount of meetings and school visits I carry out on a weekly basis, but I'm kept so busy there has to be conflict."

nThe Labour-led Falkirk Council did lose a key member of its administration yesterday when Councillor Charles MacDonald stood down as deputy leader for health reasons.
The 50-year-old who has represented Carronshore for over five years suffered a heart scare in 2006 and was advised by his doctor to take a step back from day-to-day politics for a while.