Politics of Aberdeen
Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English The Politics of Aberdeen, Scotland have changed significantly in recent years. In 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, Grampian Regional Council and Aberdeen District Council were dissolved, creating the new unitary Aberdeen City Council to represent the city's council area.
Aberdeen City Council
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland. Aberdeen City Council currently comprises forty-five councillors, who represent the city's thirteen multi-member wards, and is chaired by the Lord Provost.
The council area was created in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994. However, a sense of Aberdeen as a city, with its own city council, can be traced back to 1900, when the city of county of Aberdeen was created. In 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the county of Glasgow was combined with Bucksburn, Dyce, Newhills, Old Machar, Peterculter and the Stoneywood areas of the county of Aberdeen and, the Nigg area of the county of Kincardine, (including Cove Bay) to form the Aberdeen district of the Grampian region.
On 9 May,5, by resolution under sectSon 23 of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, The City of Aberdeen Council changed the name of the local government area of "City of Aberdeen" to "Aberdeen City", w," ch remains the existing unitary council area.
Prior to the 2003 election, the council had been considered a Labour stronghold.[1] Between 2003 and 2007, the council was under the control of a Liberal Democrat and Conservative coalition, holding 23 of the 43 seats on the council. Following the May 2007 election, contested for the first time using a system of proportional representation, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party (SNP) formed a coalition to run the council, holding 27 of the 43 seats (following an SNP by-election gain from the Conservatives on 16 August 2007,);the Liberal Democrat/SNP coalition held 28 of the 43 seats). At the May 2012 election, Labour entered into a coalition with the Conservatives and the independents to run the council, with 23 out of the 43 seats.
Composition (2003–2007)
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". The city council's original composition from 1995 used 43 wards while using the standard first-past-the-post voting system. The final group of representative councillors and their political parties using this system were:
| Party | Ward | Councillor | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (34) Ashley | Martin Greig | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (9) Auchmill | Kevin Stewart | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (2) Bankhead/Stoneywood | Brian Rattary | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (21) Berryden | John Stewart | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (6) Bridge of Don | Millie McLeod | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (35) Broomhill | Ian Yuill | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (28) Castlehill | Jim Hunter | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (32) Cults | Aileen Malone | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (10) Cummings Park | Gordon Graham | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (3) Danestone | Raymond Hutcheon | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (7) Donmouth | Muriel Jaffrey | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (38) Duthie | Irene Cormack | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (1) Dyce | Ron Clark | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (36) Garthdee | Scott Cassie | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (26) Gilcomston | Alison Smith | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (29) Hazlehead | Karen Freel | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (15) Hilton | George Adam | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (37) Holburn | David Falconer | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (4) Jesmond | Gordon Leslie | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (42) Kincorth East | George Urquhart | ||||||||||
| Independent | (41) Kincorth West | David Clyne | |||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (19) Kittybrewster | Neil Fletcher | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (27) Langstane | Steve Delaney | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (43) Loirston | Katherine Dean | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | (33) Mannofield | Jill Wisely | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (12) Mastrick | Ramsey Milne | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | (24) Midstocket | John Porter | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (31) Murtle | Matthew Duncan | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (8) Newhills | Peter Stephen | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (5) Oldmachar | John Reynolds | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Liberal Democrat | (30) Peterculter | Pamela MacDonald | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (23) Pittodrie | Ronald Webster | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | (25) Queens Cross | Brenda Craig | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (18) Seaton | Norman Collie | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (13) Sheddocksley | James Lamond | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (11) Springhill | Karen Shirron | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (17) St. Machar | Sandra Macdonald | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (20) Stockethill | June Lamond | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (14) Summerhill | Len Ironside | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (22) Sunnybank | Andrew May | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | (39) Torry | Yvonne Allan | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (40) Tullos | Jim Kiddie | ||||||||||
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | (16) Woodside/Tillydrone | Alan Gowers | ||||||||||
| Source: Aberdeen City Council | |||||||||||||
New wards from May 2007
Before May 2007, councillors represented 43 single-member wards, but since then, all seats have been contested by the first-past-the-post electoral system. On May 5, 2007, it was the first election to use the single transferable vote system of election and multi-member wards, each ward electing three or four councillors. The Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland completed its final recommendations for new wards for all the council areas of Scotland and for Aberdeen it was concluded that there would be 13 multi-member wards with a total of 43 councillors. This system was introduced as a result of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, and was designed to produce a form of proportional representation.[2]
The composition of wards changed to:
4 councillors:
- (1) Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone
- (2) Bridge of Don
- (10) Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross
- (12) Torry/Ferryhill
3 councillors:
- (3) Kingswells/Sheddocksley – name later changed to Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill
- (4) Northfield (name later changed to Northfield/Mastrick North
- (5) Hilton/Stockethill – name later changed to Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill
- (6) Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
- (7) Midstocket/Rosemount
- (8) George Street/Harbour
- (9) Lower Deeside
- (11) Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee
- (13) Kincorth/Loirston – name later changed to Kincorth/Nigg/Cove
Composition (2007–2012)
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| Ward | Councillors | Party | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone | Ron Clark | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Barney Crockett | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Mark McDonald | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| George Penny | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Bridge of Don | Muriel Jaffrey | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Gordon Leslie | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| John Reynolds | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Willie Young | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Kingswells/Sheddocksley | Len Ironside | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Peter Stephen | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Wendy Stuart | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Northfield | Jackie Dunbar | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Gordon Graham | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Kevin Stewart | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Hilton/Stockethill | George Adam | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Neil Fletcher | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Kirsty West | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen | Norman Collie | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Jim Noble | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Richard Robertson | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Midstocket/Rosemount | Bill Cormie | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Jenny Laing | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| John Corral | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| George Street/Harbour | Andrew May | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Jim Hunter | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| John Stewart | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Lower Deeside | Mary Boulton | Independent | |||||||||||
| Aileen Malone | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Alan Milne | Conservative | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross | Jim Farquharson | Conservative | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Martin Greig | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Jennifer Stewart | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| John West | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee | Scott Cassie | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Jill Wisely | Conservative | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Ian Yuill | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Torry/Ferryhill | Yvonne Allan | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Irene Cormack | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Alan Donnelly | Conservative | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Jim Kiddle | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Kincorth/Loirston | Neil Cooney | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | ||||||||||
| Kate Dean | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Callum McCaig | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |||||||||||
| Source: [1] | |||||||||||||
Changes since 2007 Election
- A by-election was held in the Midstocket/Rosemount Ward following the death of the Conservatives' John Porter on 23 May 2007. The by-election, on 16 August 2007, was won by the SNP's John Corall.
- In January 2011, Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen Cllr Norman Collie resigned from the Labour Party and sat as an Independent.
- A by-election was held in the Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone Ward following the death of the Liberal Democrat's Ron Clark on 21 February 2011. The by-election, on 19 May 2011, was won by the SNP's Neil MacGregor.
- In June 2011, Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross Cllr Jim Farquaharson was expelled from the Conservative Party and sat as an Independent.
- In June 2011, Lower Deeside Cllr Alan Milne was expelled from the Conservative Party and sat as an Independent.
- A by-election was held in the Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee Ward following the resignation of the Liberal Democrat's Scott Cassie on 27 April 2011 after he was jailed for embezzlement. The by-election, on 23 June 2011, was won by the SNP's Gordon Scott Townson.
- In September 2011, Bridge of Don Cllr Gordon Leslie was suspended from the Liberal Democrats. He subsequently resigned from the party and sat as an Independent.
- In February 2012, George Street/Harbour Cllr Jim Hunter was suspended from the Labour Party. He subsequently resigned from the party and sat as an Independent.
- In March 2012, Bridge of Don Cllr John Reynolds resigned from the Liberal Democrats and sat as an Independent.
Composition (2012–2017)
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| Ward | Councillors | Party | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone | Barney Crockett | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Graeme Lawrence | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Neil MacGregor | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Gill Samarai | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Bridge of Don | Muriel Jaffrey | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| John Reynolds | Independent | ||
| Sandy Stuart | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Willie Young | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Kingswells/Sheddocksley/Summerhill | David Cameron | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Steve Delaney | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Len Ironside | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Northfield/Mastrick North | Scott Carle | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Jackie Dunbar | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Gordon Graham | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Hilton/Woodside/Stockethill | George Adam | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Kirsty Blackman ("née" West) | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Lesley Dunbar | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen | Ross Grant | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Ramsey Milne | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Jim Noble | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Midstocket/Rosemount | Bill Cormie | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Fraser Forsyth | Independent | ||
| Jenny Laing | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| George Street/Harbour | Andrew May | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Jean Morrison | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Nathan Morrison | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Lower Deeside | Mary Boulton | Independent | |
| M. Tauqeer Malik | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Aileen Malone | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross | John Corall | SNP | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Martin Greig | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Jennifer Stewart | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Ross Thomson | Conservative | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee | Angela Taylor | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Gordon Townson | SNP | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Ian Yuill | Liberal Democrat | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Torry/Ferryhill | Yvonne Allan | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Graham Dickson | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Alan Donnelly | Independent | ||
| Jim Kiddle | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | |
| Kincorth/Nigg/Cove | Neil Cooney | Labour | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
| Andrew Finlayson | Independent | ||
| Callum McCaig | Scottish National Party | bgcolor="Template:Party color"| |
Changes since 2012 Election
- In January 2014, Torry/Ferryhill Cllr Alan Donnelly was expelled from the Conservative Party group and sits as an Independent.
- In May 2014, Midstocket/Rosemount Cllr Jenny Laing replaced Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone Cllr Barney Crockett as Leader of the Council.
- In May 2014, Midstocket/Rosemount Cllr Fraser Forsyth resigned from the Conservative Party group and sits as an Independent.
Composition (2017–2022)
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UK Parliament
In the United Kingdom Parliament, the city is divided between two constituencies:
| Party | Constituency | Member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Template:TBD | Aberdeen North | Template:TBD |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Template:TBD | Aberdeen South | Template:TBD |
Scottish Parliament
There are three Scottish Parliament constituencies that overlap the Aberdeen City Council area in the North East Scotland electoral region:
| Party | Constituency | Member | |
|---|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | Aberdeen Central | Kevin Stewart |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | Aberdeen Donside | Jackie Dunbar |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish National Party | Aberdeen South and North Kincardine | Audrey Nicoll |
Other MSPs in the North East Scotland electoral region (but selected by the Additional Member proportional representation system, and not in constituencies overlapping Aberdeen City or the Aberdeen City Council area) are:
| Party | Members | |
|---|---|---|
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | Mercedes Villalba |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Labour | Michael Marra |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | Maurice Golden |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | Tess White |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | Liam Kerr |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Conservative | Douglas Lumsden |
| bgcolor="Template:Party color"| | Scottish Greens | Maggie Chapman |
Scottish independence referendum
Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". In 2014 a referendum was held asking voters in Scotland the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" The referendum was held by the SNP administration after their victory in the 2011 Scottish Parliament election to determine whether Scotland should become an independent nation or remain a devolved part of the United Kingdom. Of the 3,623,344 votes cast (on a turnout of 84.6%) 2,001,926 were in favour of a "No" vote (55.3%) while 1,617,989 were "Yes" (44.7%): leading to Scotland remaining part of the United Kingdom.
The Aberdeen City local authority area had a higher than average No vote. 84,094 voters in the area voted against independence (58.6%) while 59,390 voted in favour of independence (41.4%). The Aberdeen City council area had the third lowest turnout in Scotland with 143,484 valid ballot papers on a turnout of 81.7%, ahead of Dundee and Glasgow.
Twinned cities
Aberdeen is twinned with several cities across Europe and throughout the rest of the world.[3] These include:
|
See also
- Aberdeen City Youth Council
- Politics of Dundee
- Politics of Edinburgh
- Politics of Glasgow
- Politics of Scotland
- Politics of the Highland council area
References
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External links
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