An Aberdeen shopkeeper’s petition for a vote of no confidence in Aberdeen City Council has attracted a massive surge in signatures – almost a year after it was first set up.
Keith Cormack launched his online appeal in March last year saying he was at “the end of his tether” with the ruling Labour-led alliance administration.
The 47-year-old thought his petition had “stabilised” at about 2,000 signatures by the end of 2014.
But as the ontroversy around the Marischal Square development continues he has seen it climb again to more than 3,500 names.
Mr Cormack said: “The city council have consistently got the wishes of the people of Aberdeen wrong.
“To make a few mistakes could be forgiven but they seem to stand against Aberdeen and its interests at every step.
“We’ve just been named the most dismal city in Scotland too and it’s not hard to see why. Union Street is in a total state and that all comes back to the city council.
“I think they should be removed from office.”
Councillor Callum McCaig, who leads the opposition SNP group at the Town House, said: “There is a large and growing sense of anger and frustration among Aberdonians who are fed up with the way the Labour led administration is running the council.
“This is particularly clear in the massive opposition there is to the Marischal Square proposals and the fact that they are simply ignoring the wishes of city residents.”
But city finance convener Willie Young hit back saying the petition was “water off a duck’s back”.
He said: “I think the fact it has taken a year to build up these signatures shows just how silly and childish the organisers of this petition are being.
“We are elected by the people of the city to serve a term and it will be up to people to make their decisions at the next council election.
“We have delivered a balanced budget with no cuts for the city- the only council in the UK to do this.
“I look forward to putting my record against that of the SNP at the ballot box.”