Aberdeen Labour stalwarts were out in force yesterday in the city’s Union Terrace Gardens in support of nine suspended councillors.
North-east MSP Lewis Macdonald, former Aberdeen South MP Dame Anne Begg, Hugh Pennington, emeritus professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, former Lord Provost George Adam and former councillors Jean Morrison and Ramsay Milne were joined by activists attempting to get signatures on a petition to readmit the members.
The councillors were dramatically suspended from the party by then leader Kezia Dugdale in wake of last year’s local council elections for forming an alliance with the Conservatives.
Lewis Macdonald: Why I support the Aberdeen Nine and hope for their speedy reinstatement
Despite the coalition existing over the previous five years, party bosses argued the Labour group had to prove their opposition to austerity while in power with the Tories.
After more than a year of suspension, it emerged that the powerful Scottish Executive Committee had sent the final decision south to UK Labour’s National Constitution Committee – with a recommendation that the nine are expelled.
It is understood the NCC will make a decision next week.
Mr Macdonald said his support for the nine was not related to his wife Sandra’s position as one of the suspended members.
He said: “The issue here is that Labour councillors in Aberdeen are the best people to judge how to take forward Labour policies in Aberdeen and they have clearly and demonstrably done that.
“Whoever was a member of the group would have my support.”
Dame Anne added: “To say I feel disappointed is an understatement. I am really quite shocked and horrified.
“This is the most bizarre position I have ever come across in the party and I must say that being in the Labour party can be quite challenging at times.”
Mr Pennington said: “Given the failure of the Scottish executive committee to resolve issues about Labour’s local leadership in Aberdeen which have never been explained, it falls to the national executive committee to put things right.”
Mr Adam added: “In my final term, I was part of an administration consisting of Labour, Conservative and independent- this is the same makeup and now there has been a reaction from the Labour party colleagues in Glasgow. They’re wrong.”
