The Lord Lieutenant of Aberdeen splashed more public cash on a fancy new uniform than his predecessor spent in his whole last year in the job.
Lord Provost David Cameron, who also serves as the King’s personal representative in Aberdeen, paid more than £3,250 on sourcing the ceremonial dress.
It’s an extravagance not seen in the Granite City for at least two decades – and one that cost more than the average family would pay for gas and electricity for a year.
Lord Provost’s SNP took power with cost of living pledges
Mr Cameron’s SNP group took joint control of Aberdeen City Council with a promise to focus on the cost of living crisis.
“The cost of living crisis is hitting the pockets of Aberdonians hard, forcing many to make the difficult decision between heating and eating,” their policy agreement with the Lib Dems acknowledges.
British Gas estimates it would cost around £2,840 a year to heat and power a house of four or five people.
The striking navy uniform, with blood striped trousers, cost the Common Good Fund £2,940 alone.
But it hit city coffers for even more, as Mr Cameron had to visit exclusive tailor Kashket and Partners of London to be sized up.
The firm specialises in iconic military and ceremonial dress, providing uniforms for the likes of Beefeaters of the Tower of London, as well as those worn by princes William and Harry on their wedding days.
Is the Lord Lieutenant’s sharp suit a good look in the cost-of-living crisis? Or is there still a place for tradition? Let us know in the comment section below.
‘If you’re telling me that would be right…’
A lord lieutenant’s uniform is similar to the dress uniform of a British Army general, with a blood stripe on the trousers and a maroon and silver sash.
North of the border, the Scottishness is represented with thistles on the buttons and epaulettes.
Mr Cameron’s took six weeks to make and arrived in Aberdeen the morning before the Queen’s funeral cortege passed through the city.
After saluting the hearse and receiving a nod of thanks from Princess Anne, he told The P&J: “When I became Lord Provost, it was suggested to me that I should get a Lord Lieutenant uniform.
“I believe the last provosts who wore that were Jim Wyness and, before him, Alex Collie.
“I did not know what it was all about at the time but I thought, ‘if you’re telling me that would be right…’
“As soon as I became Lord Provost, I decided I would wear the chain of office as Lord Provost, and wouldn’t if I was acting as Lord Lieutenant.
“I suppose that left the question: what do you wear then, apart from a smart suit? This is when the uniform was mentioned.”
His trip to the capital for a fitting, including train travel, Premier Inn stay and breakfast, took the total cost associated with the lord lieutenant regalia to £3,260.
By November 10, he had worn the uniform to 23 events, taking the cost to £142 per occasion.
No Aberdeen Lord Lieutenant has worn the uniform since 1996
Aberdeen’s last lord lieutenant uniform was purchased sometime between 1992 and 1996.
It was worn by Labour Lord Provost and Lord Lieutenant James Wyness.
Another six people have held the office before Mr Cameron’s election, foregoing the expensive uniform.
“I wouldn’t be daft enough to put that expense on the taxpayer,” one former office holder told The P&J.
Other lord lieutenants across the north-east, in Aberdeenshire, Banffshire and Kincardine, have sported the attire in recent years.
But by comparison, Mr Cameron’s predecessor Barney Crockett spent less than the cost of the uniform across the whole of his last year as lord lieutenant.
Though criticised for his costly jet-setting as lord provost, the now-independent spent only £3,175 between April 2021 and March 2022 on the lieutenancy.
In the last pre-pandemic year, Mr Crockett spent £2,428 representing the monarch. He chose to wear his own kilt while doing so.
Former Aberdeen Lord Lieutenant’s ‘small stature’ blamed for need for new uniform
But having risen to replace him in Aberdeen’s highest office in 2022, Mr Cameron was advised to splurge by council chiefs.
Responding to a freedom of information request, an Aberdeen City Council spokeswoman said: “Advice given to the Lord Lieutenant verbally was that the purchase of the uniform would ensure Aberdeen city is represented properly and in line with other lieutenancies in Grampian and elsewhere in the UK.
“The cost should be viewed as being spread over the five years of a tenure. It is important to distinguish between the roles of lord provost and lord lieutenant and the uniform allows for that.
“Care has also been taken with the purchase of this uniform to ensure that it can be altered, and we therefore expect it to service for many years to come.”
The P&J probe also revealed the council did not seek a quote to renew or repair Mr Wyness’ uniform.
Having been mothballed in 1996, the sash, epaulettes and silver buttons from the tunic were missing.
The late former Lord Provost‘s “small stature” was also blamed for the city having to purchase a new one.
The spokeswoman added: “It was too small to reuse for the current lord lieutenant.
“The uniform has not fitted any lord lieutenant since and is also not suitable to be enlarged.
“As well as the size issue, there were a number of key parts of the uniform missing.”
Lord Lieutenant: ‘It was suggested to me’
Approached by The P&J about his tailoring bill, Lord Lieutenant David Cameron told us: “When I took up office it was suggested to me that a new uniform ought to be ordered.
“This happened to arrive just shortly before the funeral cortege of Queen Elizabeth II passed through the city.
“The city has had a lord lieutenant’s uniform for decades but unfortunately the previous one had fallen into a very poor condition by the time I took up office – parts of it were missing, some parts had even been cut off, and what was left was beyond repair.
“The new uniform has been made so that it can be adjusted to fit future lord lieutenants, something which I understand is also done with certain military uniforms.
“As long as it is looked after, this should last for a good number of years and a good number of lord lieutenants.”
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