Critics have dubbed Nicola Sturgeon a “part-time” minister for cities, claiming she has only visited Aberdeen once in the last year-and-a-half.
North-east Conservative MSP Nanette Milne said the deputy first minister was too busy travelling across the country promoting Scottish independence to work with local political and business leaders on regeneration ideas.
Mrs Milne said the SNP’s “obsession” with breaking up the UK had resulted in Ms Sturgeon “sidelining her other responsibilities”, which include infrastructure and capital investment, transport and housing policy.
Aberdeen City Council finance convener Willie Young claimed the role amounted to a “complete and utter waste of time” and said Ms Sturgeon was only interested in working with councils run by her party, such as Dundee and Perth and Kinross.
Mrs Milne said: “It is clear that Nicola Sturgeon is a part-time minister when it comes to cities and regeneration.”
Labour councillor Mr Young said he and his colleagues would like to have more regular talks with the SNP minister, but added: “Nicola Sturgeon as the cities minister is a complete and utter waste of time.
“She has been to the city once at the invitation of Labour and we are not getting value for money.”
Aberdeen South and North Kincardine SNP MSP Maureen Watt said: “Nicola Sturgeon spent a large amount of time in Aberdeen during the Donside by-election last year where she met many citizens and many representatives at various forums regarding cities.”
A spokesman for Ms Sturgeon said: “This is a hypocritical attack from Ms Milne. It is this government which is delivering the two biggest transport projects in the north-east – the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the Haudagain roundabout upgrade – after years of dither and delay.”