Councillors have agreed to implement a controversial five-year Gaelic language plan in Aberdeen.
The initiative is required under the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005, which was brought in by the Labour and Liberal Democrat-led Scottish Executive.
The scheme requires some signs to incorporate the language as well as vehicle liveries being changed and a bilingual logo created.
However, a Liberal Democrat amendment, calling for a delay in the implementation while clarity was sought from the Scottish government split the ruling Labour, Conservative and independent alliance.
Despite senior administration figures having previously criticised the scale of the investment required to introduce the plan and vowing to do “as little as possible” to implement it, the Labour group voted with it.
Council leader Jenny Laing, who began by identifying herself as “one of the 99.2%” who don’t speak the language, said that the authority had a “statutory obligation” to roll out the plan.
But, in moving the amendment, Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill argued the north-east had “no real tradition of Gaelic” and argued a half-hearted promotion of the language was “dishonest”.
Ross Thomson, Conservative councillor and north-east MSP, added: “I do not think (a Gaelic language plan) is as appropriate in Aberdeen as it is in the Western Isles and the legislation should reflect that.”
But SNP finance spokesman Graham Dickson, whose group voted with Labour for the plan, said: “I think the Liberal Democrats were just playing populism, they thought it would be a vote winner.”
The motion was passed by 32 votes to 9.
