A political row has broken out after Aberdeen City Council’s co-leader was accused of “weaponising” a government under-spend.
Conservative councillor Douglas Lumsden the SNP-led Holyrood administration had deliberately not spent £450 million of its budget to “build up a slush fund for independence”.
But SNP group leader, Stephen Flynn, said the ruling council coalition was happy to boast about its own £5 million under-spend last year as a “strong performance”.
Mr Flynn said: “The public will see right through Douglas Lumsden attacking a Scottish Government under-spend when just two months ago he was boasting to anyone who would listen that the council accounts were running a £5 million surplus.
“Whilst he tries to weaponise a government under-spend he openly regards a council one as evidence of ‘strong performance’ – such rank hypocrisy can’t, and won’t, go unchecked.
“I appreciate that councillor Lumsden is likely more focused on chasing his Holyrood ambitions than his co-leader duties, but he’d do well to remember that the public don’t like being treated like fools.”
But Mr Lumsden hit back saying government cuts to councils made it all the harder for the local authority.
He said: “Councillor Flynn might not like the truth but It is a fact that the SNP government in Holyrood has under-spent its budget by £450m whilst slashing spending on council budgets.
“Scottish Government decisions have an effect on local government and severely damage the ability of local councils to deliver services.
“Once again we find councillor Flynn taking the side of the Scottish Government against the people of Aberdeen who he is supposed to represent.”
