The Labour party has been accused of “complete disarray” in its ongoing civil war between the national party and group of nine suspended Aberdeen councillors.
Yesterday it emerged one of the rebel councillors in the city is also acting as agent to two of the Aberdeen Westminster candidates.
Union official Sarah Duncan was elected for Aberdeen Labour to represent the Kincorth, Nigg and Cove ward on May 4.
She has since been suspended with the rest of her council colleagues for defying the ruling Scottish Executive Committee (SEC) when they told the Granite City members they could not enter a coalition with the Conservative group.
Labour suspend nine Aberdeen City councillors after defying party over Tory coalition
But Ms Duncan had already been processed as the election agent for Aberdeen North Labour candidate Orr Vinegold and South candidate Callum O’Dwyer.
Last night Scottish Labour bosses said that she would remain the agent for the candidates and was still currently a party member.
Ms Duncan did not respond to repeated requests for comment last night.
The latest revelation comes as the rift between the rebel councillors and Scottish Labour deepens.
On Sunday, deputy party leader Alex Rowley said the councillors would only be reinstated if they withdrew from the coalition deal with the Conservatives and refused to rule out expelling them from Labour entirely.
But north-east businessman Alan Massie, who helped bankroll Aberdeen Labour’s recent electoral drive, has ruled out donating any money to the party’s General Election campaign over the “ridiculous” decision to suspend the councillors.
The SEC ruled out any coalitions between Labour and “pro-austerity” parties on a council level.
They have been accused of hypocrisy in some circles as a Labour and Conservative coalition had been in place in Aberdeen during the last council term from 2012-2017.
Pacts between Labour and the SNP have been endorsed elsewhere.
But last night SNP group leader on the city council Stephen Flynn said: “I think this news just adds further fuel to the fire that the Labour party in Aberdeen is in complete disarray.
“It appears that they have a suspended member of the party trying to get their candidates elected showing that they are not serious about their chances of winning.”
A Scottish Labour spokesman said that Ms Duncan was under “administrative suspension” but that she remained a party member and having her as an election agent did not break any electoral rules.
He said: “Sarah Duncan’s suspension has no impact on her role as an election agent. An agent represents a candidate, not a party.”
A full list of candidates in Aberdeen are as follows: Aberdeen North: Kirsty Blackman (SNP), Isobel Davidson (Liberal Democrats), Richard Durkin (independent), Grace O’Keefe (Conservative), Orr Vinegold (Labour).
Aberdeen South: Callum McCaig (SNP), Callum O’Dwyer (Labour), Ross Thomson (Conservative), Jenny Wilson (Liberal Democrats).
