An Aberdeen councillor was forced to withdraw his comments by angry colleagues after he said the local authority’s governance “stinks” during a heated debate.
Frustrated Liberal Democrat Steve Delaney was speaking at yesterday’s city growth committee where he was bemoaning a lack of detail about proposed city centre projects.
He said: “As with everything this council does, this stinks of poor governance.”
But this lead to some council officers and committee convener Douglas Lumsden leaving the room.
Upon their return, Mr Lumsden asked Mr Delaney to retract his comments and apologise to the officers he felt had been disrespected.
Mr Delaney said he stood by what he said and that his comments were directed towards the ruling Conservative, Aberdeen Labour and independent administration and not civil servants.
But this cut little ice with the convener who then summoned a legal expert to tell the Lib Dem which council rules he had broken.
Mr Delaney subsequently recanted and said: “I would be willing to retract the comments made and add that I meant no offence or criticism to officers.
“I have an issue with the current administration’s views towards governance.”
This was accepted by Mr Lumsden.