Aberdeen City Council’s SNP group has voted unanimously in favour of their new leader – who was only elected into power eight months ago.
Stephen Flynn, who secured the Kincorth, Nigg and Cove seat in a by-election in July, is now poised to head a potential SNP-led administration if the nationalists win the 2017 council elections.
Mr Flynn has taken on the role from Jackie Dunbar, who stepped down as group leader earlier this month.
When Ms Dunbar resigned from the post, she said she believed the SNP leader in two years time would most likely be the next leader of the council – a role she did not seek to take on.
However, the 27-year-old Mr Flynn – a former assistant to Aberdeen South SNP MP Callum McCaig and a staff member of Aberdeen South nationalist MSP Maureen Watt – said that getting the SNP back into power in the Granite City and taking the reigns of the administration was one of his top priorities.
He added: “I want to provide a very strong opposition to this Labour-led administration.
“They have made a number of very, very big mistakes in recent years, and we have held them to account for that and we will continue to hold them to account for the next 13 to 14 months.
“This time period also affords us an opportunity to inspire the voters of Aberdeen to put their faith in us to lead the council after the next council elections in a positive fashion.
“As a part of that, my colleagues and I will seek to inspire voters in that manner, and, as a part of that, we will be announcing a number of policy objectives.”
Mr Flynn highlighted that, under his leadership, he aimed to cut down on in-fighting in the council chambers.
Mr Flynn said: “I think the public are tired of seeing in the papers every day Councillor [Willie] Young saying one thing, Councillor [Ross] Thomson saying another, and us saying another, and it doesn’t project a good image for the city.
“Jackie was phenomenal in trying to bridge that divide, and where there is a common consensus, I am quite happy to work with the opposition.”
