John Swinney claimed the decision to allow a rapist to keep his Highland Council taxi licence should never have been allowed to happen. John Swinney says taxi decision was absurdMr Swinney said he backed the council’s eventual decision to review the licence again. Conservative Ruraidh Stewart has quit the licensing committee but has not commented despite our efforts to reach him. The four women that voted against the licence decision at the time spoke to The Press and Journal together for the first time on Tuesday. “We took decisive action after that licensing committee and I think it was because of our decisive action that change was able to happen.”