Aberdeen City Council’s opposition SNP group has appointed a new leader after losing its current chief to Westminster.
Councillor Jackie Dunbar – who represents Northfield and Mastrick North – will take over from Callum McCaig, newly-elected MP for Aberdeen South.
The announcement was made yesterday following the group’s AGM, after former council leader McCaig ousted Labour’s Dame Anne Begg from her seat with a majority of more than 7,000.
He announced he would be stepping down as group leader and resigning as councillor, a move which will spark a by-election for the Kincorth/ Nigg/ Cove ward.
Cllr Dunbar said she felt “privileged” to be stepping into the role and was ready to challenge the Labour-led council administration on matters important to her city.
The SNP has claimed that local grievances – including controversy over Marischal Square – were widely cited by voters as a major factor in the swing from Labour to the SNP at this year’s General Election.
The party also broke Labour’s stranglehold over Aberdeen North which dated back to 1935, with a massive 13,000 majority for Kirsty Blackman.
Labour councillor Willie Young has dismissed the claims that “local issues” had cost his party seats.
But Cllr Dunbar said the political landscape is changing and voters in Aberdeen are looking for a new voice.
She said times had dramatically changed from when she first joined the party in 1990, and there was just one SNP councillor, the late Brian Adam, elected in Aberdeen.
She said that she had witnessed first-hand the work that had been done to get the party to where it currently is and was ready to continue the fight.
“Aberdeen has put its trust in the SNP and there can be no higher mark of respect placed upon the SNP group than for two of our councillors to be elected as MPs,” she said.
“The administration must recognise the fact that Aberdeen has overwhelmingly voted SNP and that the politics of Aberdeen and Scotland have changed.
“What we saw during the general election campaign time and again was a clear rejection of the policies pursued by this council.
“I will work constructively with the administration and hope to be able to build bridges with them and will work with them for the benefit of Aberdeen when we can.
“We need a council that is working for the people of Aberdeen and I will make sure that under my tenure we will always be willing to reach out to the other groups to bring forward policies that make Aberdeen a better place to live and work.”