The Legogate debacle has forced a shakeup in the leadership of Aberdeenshire Council.
A motion during yesterday’s emergency session at Woodhill House installed co-leader Richard Thomson as chairman of the policy and resources committee, replacing his former colleague Martin Kitts-Hayes.
The move makes Mr Thomson the de facto leader of the authority, a position he will hold until the council meets again in late September.
Following a tumultuous week for the authority, during which Mr Kitts-Hayes abandoned politics and veteran SNP councillor Ian Gray died, there will be a reshuffle of the leadership.
The dates for the two by-elections – in Inverurie and Banff respectively – will be confirmed next week.
It is understood the ruling Partnership administration’s coalition deal requires a co-leadership arrangement, a model which opposition groups are preparing to challenge.
Last night Mr Thomson said: “We have a written partnership agreement which remains in force and requires a co-leadership arrangement which is how we intend to proceed.”
However, his opposite number, Alliance leader Jim Gifford, claimed that sharing power – particularly between councillors from different parties – didn’t work.
The Conservative councillor added: “We are certainly not comfortable with the concept of co-leaders – we said that from the first minute it was mentioned. We will wait and see what happens.
“Then we have two by-elections. We will see what the people of Aberdeenshire decide to do in terms of the results of those by-elections.
“We’ll sit down and look at the numbers and see what may follow.”
