- Politics of Aberdeen
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The Politics of Aberdeen, Scotland have changed significantly in recent years. In 1996, under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, Grampian Regional Council was dissolved, creating the new unitary Aberdeen City Council to represent the city's council area. Aberdeen City Council no longer has any direct control over the neighbouring area of Aberdeenshire, although the headquarters of Aberdeenshire Council remain located within the city.
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Aberdeen City Council
Aberdeen City Council represents the Aberdeen City council area of Scotland.
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 city was combined with Bucksburn, Newhills, Old Machar, Stoneywood, Dyce and Peterculter areas of the county of Aberdeen and a Nigg area of the county of Kincardine (including Cove Bay) to form the Aberdeen district of the Grampian region. This district became the now existing unitary council area in 1996.
On 9 May 1995 by resolution under section 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".
Composition
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. Prior to the 2003 election, the council had been considered a Labour stronghold.[1] Following the May 2007 election, contested for the first time using a system of proportional representation, the Liberal Democrats and 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 Lib Dem/SNP coalition now hold 28 of the 43 seats).
Aberdeen City Council comprises forty-three councillors who represent the city's wards and is headed by the Lord Provost who is currently Provost Peter Stephen.
Current political composition: (+/- by election changes since May 2007 election)
- Liberal Democrat - 15 councillors
- Scottish National Party - 13 councillors (+1)
- Labour - 10 councillors
- Conservative - 4 councillors (-1)
- Independent - 1 councillor
Chief Officials:
- Chief Executive - Sue Bruce
New wards from May 2007
Before May 2007, councillors represented 43 single-member wards, but since then,all seats were contested by a different 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 there will 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 is designed to produce a form of proportional representation.[2]
The composition of wards have changed to:
3 councillors:
- (11) Airyhall/Broomhill/Garthdee
- (8) George Street/Harbour
- (5) Hilton/Stockethill
- (13) Kincorth/Loirston
- (3) Kingswells/Sheddocksley
- (9) Lower Deeside
- (7) Midstocket/Rosemount
- (4) Northfield
- (6) Tillydrone/Seaton/Old Aberdeen
4 councillors:
- (2) Bridge of Don
- (1) Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone
- (10) Hazlehead/Ashley/Queens Cross
- (12) Torry/Ferryhill
The most recent results from this election were as followed:
Ward Councillors Party Dyce / Bucksburn / Danestone Ron Clark Liberal Democrat Barney Crockett Labour Mark McDonald Scottish National Party George Penny Liberal Democrat Bridge of Don Muriel Jaffrey Scottish National Party Gordon Leslie Liberal Democrat John Reynolds Liberal Democrat Willie Young Labour Kingswells / Sheddocksley Len Ironside Labour Peter Stephen Liberal Democrat Wendy Stuart Scottish National Party Northfield Jackie Dunbar Scottish National Party Gordon Graham Labour Kevin Stewart Scottish National Party Hilton / Stockethill George Adam Labour Neil Fletcher Liberal Democrat Kirsty West Scottish National Party Tillydrone / Seaton / Old Aberdeen Norman Collie Labour Jim Noble Scottish National Party Richard Robertson Liberal Democrat Midstocket / Rosemount Bill Cormie Scottish National Party Jenny Laing Labour John Corral Scottish National Party George Street / Harbour Andy May Scottish National Party Jim Hunter Labour John Stewart Liberal Democrat Lower Deeside Mary Boulton Independent Aileen Malone Liberal Democrat Alan Milne Conservative Hazlehead / Ashley / Queen's Cross Jim Farquharson Conservative Martin Greig Liberal Democrat Jennifer Stewart Liberal Democrat John West Scottish National Party Airyhall / Broomhill / Garthdee Scott Cassie Liberal Democrat Jillian Wisely Conservative Ian Yuill Liberal Democrat Torry / Ferryhill Yvonne Allan Labour Irene Cormack Liberal Democrat Alan Donnelly Conservative Jim Kiddle Scottish National Party Kincorth / Loirston Neil Cooney Labour Katherine Dean Liberal Democrat Callum McCaig Scottish National Party Source: [1] Composition (before May 2007)
The previous composition of 43 wards while using the standard First Past the Post voting system. Their representative councillors and political parties were:
Party Ward Councillor Liberal Democrat (34) Ashley Martin Greig Scottish National Party (9) Auchmill Kevin Stewart Labour (2) Bankhead and Stoneywood Brian Rattary Liberal Democrat (21) Berryden John Stewart Liberal Democrat (6) Bridge of Don Millicent McLeod Liberal Democrat (35) Broomhill Ian Yuill Labour (28) Castlehill James Hunter Liberal Democrat (32) Cults Aileen Malone Labour (10) Cummings Park Gordon Graham Liberal Democrat (3) Danestone Raymond Hutcheon Scottish National Party (7) Donmouth Muriel Jaffrey Liberal Democrat (38) Duthie Irene Cormack Liberal Democrat (37) Dyce Ronald Clark Liberal Democrat (36) Garthdee Scott Cassie Liberal Democrat (26) Gilcomston Alison Smith Liberal Democrat (29) Hazlehead Karen Freel Labour (15) Hilton George Adam Liberal Democrat (37) Holburn David Falconer Liberal Democrat (4) Jesmond Gordon Leslie Labour (42) Kincorth East George Urquhart Independent (41) Kincorth West David Clyne Liberal Democrat (19) Kittybrewster Neil Fletcher Liberal Democrat (27) Langstane Steve Delaney Liberal Democrat (43) Loirston Katherine Dean Conservative (33) Mannofield Jillian Wisely Labour (12) Mastrick Ramsey Milne Conservative (24 ) Midstocket John Porter Liberal Democrat (31) Murtle Matthew Duncan Liberal Democrat (8) Newhills Peter Stephen Liberal Democrat (5) Oldmachar John Reynolds Liberal Democrat (30) Peterculter Pamela MacDonald Labour (23) Pittodrie Ronald Webster Conservative (25) Queens Cross Brenda Craig Labour (18) Seaton Norman Collie Labour (13) Sheddocksley James Lamond Scottish National Party (11) Springhill Karen Shirron Labour (17) St. Machar Sandra Macdonald Labour (20) Stockethill June Lamond Labour (14) Summerhill Leonard Ironside Scottish National Party (22) Sunnybank Andrew May Labour (39) Torry Yvonne Allan Scottish National Party (40) Tullos James Kiddie Scottish National Party (16) Woodside & Tillydrone Alan Gowers Source: Aberdeen City Council UK Parliament
In the United Kingdom Parliament, the city is divided between three constituencies:
Party Constituency Member Labour Aberdeen North Frank Doran Labour Aberdeen South Anne Begg Liberal Democrat Gordon Malcolm Bruce 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 Aberdeen Central Kevin Stewart Scottish National Party Aberdeen North Brian Adam Aberdeen South Maureen Watt 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 Labour Richard Baker Scottish National Party Nigel Don Labour Marlyn Glen Conservative Alex Johnstone Liberal Democrat Alison McInnes Conservative Nanette Milne Scottish National Party Maureen Watt European Parliament
In the European Parliament, Scotland as a whole (and therefore Aberdeen) is represented by six MEPs:
Party Members Liberal Democrat George Lyon Scottish National Party Ian Hudghton Labour David Martin Scottish National Party Alyn Smith Conservative Struan Stevenson Labour Catherine Stihler Twinned cities
Aberdeen is twinned with several cities across Europe and throughout the rest of the world.[3] These include:
- Regensburg, Germany
- Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Stavanger, Norway
See also
- Aberdeen City Youth Council
References
- ^ David, Scott (2002-12-30). "Labour is set to lose council strongholds in elections". The Scotsman. http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1443312002.
- ^ "Scottish elections 2007". The Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 2007-01-27. http://web.archive.org/web/20070127122545/http://www.electoralcommission.gov.uk/your-area/scotelections2007.cfm. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
- ^ "Twinning". Aberdeen City Council. http://www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/ACCI/web/site/Tourism/SL/tur_TownTwinning.asp. Retrieved 2007-02-08.
External links
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