Aberdeen’s new council leader yesterday insisted it would be “business as usual” following a coup to oust her predecessor from the post.
Jenny Laing was speaking after being officially appointed as replacement for the deposed Barney Crockett as political head of the local authority.
Mr Crockett admitted to having been taken by surprise as he was dumped by the city council’s Labour group during what was described as a stormy annual meeting on Monday night.
Education convener Mrs Laing said there would be no change of direction for the Labour-Conservative-Independent coalition – and she reiterated that there would be no re- examination of the City Garden Project, which was jettisoned under the leadership of Mr Crockett.
She said: “Barney Crockett built firm foundations in his time as leader and I would hope to build on that.
“At the end of the day, the administration is about more than one person.
“It is about a collective group of people collaboratively working to come up with policies and strategies with a determination to make sure we deliver for the people of Aberdeen.
“It is business as usual as far as I am concerned.
“We have been doing great work in the last two years.”
As the dust settled yesterday, Mr Crockett reflected that “in politics, if you want a friend you should get a dog”.
Opposition members claimed he had been “stabbed in the back” by party colleagues.
But Mrs Laing, whose parents Jim and June Lamond were both politicians, insisted she would not be distracted by the controversy.
“It is not going to deflect me in any way from the task that I have here.”
The Midstocket and Rosemount ward member said the coalition was pressing ahead with a number of infrastructure improvements, including the £107million Marischal Square development, a new exhibition and conference centre and investments in the city bypass.
“We are also working with the Scottish Government on improvements to the Haudagain and regeneration of the city centre, with £750,000 committed to underwrite a city-centre masterplan.”
However, she stressed that there were “competing needs”, with major issues including housing and education to be tackled in “challenging” financial times.
Mrs Laing added: “We have great ideas but really they are just words. We know that people want to see action.”