A huge questionmark was hanging over the future of the Liberal Democrat-SNP coalition running Aberdeen City Council last night after its members publicly traded insults in a row over school closures.
Northfield Academy was saved from the axe after Nationalist members formed an unlikely alliance with their bitter rivals in the Labour group to win a reprieve for the school.
Council leader John Stewart faced a call from opposition Labour councillors to “consider his position” after the Lib Dem group he leads was left as the only party supporting the school’s closure.
Simmering tensions between Lib Dem and SNP members boiled over at yesterday’s education committee meeting for the first time since they agreed a pact to take power in 2007.
Liberal Democrat Richard Robertson branded his Nationalist administration colleagues an “absolute disgrace” after SNP members suggested their coalition partners wanted to close Northfield Academy for political reasons.
The plan to shut the school was defeated by 15 votes to six. The committee had earlier heard an impassioned plea from parents and pupils of the school, including S4 youngster Hannah Wright.
She said: “Most of us were considering staying on for our highers but, if we have to go to Hazlehead, then most of us will go to college or get jobs because our parents can’t afford to get two buses a day.”
A total of 280 residents attended an emergency meeting of Northfield Academy Parent Council to oppose the plans on Wednesday night. Last night, parent council chairman Keith Paterson said: “It is a great victory.
“I am delighted for the community because they really rallied round. I think there will be celebrations in the school tomorrow.”
Councillors also unanimously agreed officially to lift the threat of closure from Harlaw Academy following a strong campaign.
They decided to move forward with plans to build a new school to replace Torry and Kincorth academies, as well as long-term proposals to replace Bridge of Don, Oldmachar and Hazlehead secondaries and build a new school at Kingswells.
The rift in the administration emerged last week when the Lib Dems revealed their proposals for the future of the city’s secondaries.
The group had not consulted SNP councillors, whose leader, Kevin Stewart, and member Jackie Dunbar both represent Northfield.
Convener of the education committee, Nationalist Andy May, moved the amendment yesterday that secured Northfield’s future, seconded by Labour’s Jenny Laing, with the pair seen negotiating during a recess.
Last night, Kevin Stewart welcomed the committee’s decision not to close Northfield until a replacement was built, and added that he was sure the coalition would “see its differences through”. It is believed that John Stewart was also playing down the fallout.
The Press and Journal understands, however, that uncertainty surrounded the administration’s future. The row is believed to have continued in the members’ lounge after the debate, with the SNP’s John West falling out with the Lib Dems. During the meeting, Mr West angered them by suggesting the reason they supported Northfield’s closure but not Harlaw’s was that they had no councillors in Northfield.
He added: “Having been in coalition with the Liberal Democrats since 2007, it is quite refreshing to see them jump off the fence with such energy. It is just a pity they jumped off on to the wrong side.”
SNP group deputy leader Callum McCaig also suggested Northfield had been “put into the place” of Harlaw by the Lib Dems, while John Corall questioned whether they had issued a statement calling for Northfield to be shut down to “create uncertainty” and prompt “closure by default”.
The remarks prompted an angry response from Lib Dem Richard Robertson, who said: “It is also not a coincidence that there are two SNP councillors in Northfield. I think you are an absolute disgrace for raising party political issues.”
When Liberal Democrat Ian Yuill was speaking, he paused and said: “I am being heckled from my left (the SNP benches), which is unusual.”
He added: “We considered the case and we produced what we thought were the right proposals. We had every right to do that and I take exception to people suggesting we didn’t.”