A senior Aberdeen councillor has called for the ruling Labour group to step back from planning decisions to protect the city’s reputation.
All 17 Labour councillors – who form the biggest group in the administration – have been reported to the standards watchdog amid claims they colluded to force through the controversial Marsichal Square project.
And last night, the SNP called for the group to halt any involvement on planning matters until the Standards Commission have considered the complaint, amid fears they are endangering the public’s confidence in the council.
Opposition group spokesman Graham Dickson sent an e-mail to all Labour councillors – including council leader Jenny Laing – urging them to step back.
He said last night: “The allegations are very serious and they may undermine the confidence of the public in Aberdeen’s planning system.
“In my opinion, the Labour group would be wise to safeguard the reputation of the council by removing themselves from planning votes until the Standards Commission has concluded its investigation.
“Planning is supposed to be non-partisan and excluding themselves from planning matters would not affect the operation of the political administration, but would help to protect the council.”
But finance convener Willie Young – who has previously been cleared of complaints relating to the Marischal Square project – hit back and accused the SNP of “gutter politics”.
The row comes after the Press and Journal revealed earlier this week that Bill Skidmore, of the Reject Marischal Square group, has accused Labour councillors of consistently voting together to approve the £107million Broad Street scheme.
Mr Skidmore’s complaint to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland rests on comments made on social networking websites by education convener Angela Taylor and Mr Young.
Mr Young – who said earlier this week he was confident he had done nothing wrong – last night dismissed the SNP’s calls and said: “As far as we are concerned, there’s no complaint to answer at this stage because we have still to hear from the commissioner.
“I think Graham Dickson is being premature in anything he has said. It’s typical of the SNP and how they operate – through innuendo.
“This is gutter politics from Mr Dickson and it’s gutter politics from the SNP. I have been reported by Callum McCaig, and I have been reported by Graham Dickson, and on both occasions, the commission found in my favour.”
And the Bridge of Don councillor claimed it was actually one of the opposition group’s own councillors who may have to answer to the Standards Commission, amid claims he caused the council to be taken to court.
He alleged that comments Rosemount councillor Bill Cormie made about a house of multi-occupancy proposal showed he had made his mind up on it before a licensing committee meeting where he voted to refuse the application, which was subsequently refused. The decision is currently being appealed.
Mr Cormie could not be contacted for comment, but SNP group leader Jackie Dunbar played down the claim.
She said: “If they thought this was such a serious matter they would have raised it with me or the Standards Commission by now. It seems more likely that they are trying to take the limelight off of themselves – it is a poor show. I thought they might have been better than this.”