Aberdeen’s new lord provost believes decade-old allegations of gross misconduct – which forced him from a top job with the Food Standards Agency – will not undermine his civic duties.
SNP councillor David Cameron was voted into the role at a Town House meeting today – a move branded “concerning” by opponents.
The lord provost serves as the civic representative and first citizen of Aberdeen.
They act as ambassadors for the Granite City, hosting hundreds of civic events, as well as chairing full council meetings.
Lord provosts also act as the Queen’s lord lieutenant, attending events on behalf of Her Majesty.
As part of his party’s partnership deal with the Liberal Democrats, Steve Delaney has been given the role of deputy lord provost.
Aberdeen Lord Provost David Cameron: ‘I have never been found guilty’
A Kingswells, Sheddocksley and Summerhill councillor for 10 years, Mr Cameron first sought election a year after his high profile exit from the board of the FSA.
And he resigned as chairman of the Scottish Food Advisory Committee (SFAC)Â as accusations of “gross misconduct” – allegedly relating to a female junior employee – were investigated.
Mr Cameron later quit as chairman of NHS Grampian.
At the time he told The P&J the allegations stemmed from a “very trivial” claim made by a female work colleague and insisted CCTV footage would have cleared him of any wrong-doing.
And yesterday he told the P&J he had “never been found guilty in any shape or form”.
Mr Cameron accused top brass at the FSA of meddling in the appeals process as he tried to clear his name.
“I don’t think this undermines my ability to serve as lord provost,” he said.
“I have in the last 10 years been on staff appeal committees because I think everyone deserves a fair chance.
“I completed my terms with NHS Grampian. And I learned a very hard lesson with the FSA, that as a ministerial appointment you have absolutely no employment rights of any sort.
“I realised after a couple of months – and an awful lot of legal fees – that I was on a hiding to nothing in terms of being able to change what they were trying to do to me and as a result of that I needed to move on with my life and I resigned.
“I was accused but never found guilty of anything in any shape or form.
He added: “I have worked with third party organisations, I have been a member of the Foyer board, professionally I have done quite a lot of work with VSA and I have never come across any suggestion I was not appropriate to carry out duties there or with this role here as the first citizen of the city of Aberdeen.”
Lord Provost David Cameron’s hopes of ‘pulling the city together’ met with concern over years-old accusations
After his appointment, Mr Cameron – who was his SNP group’s deputy leader until this month’s election – said he hoped he could “pull people – pull the city – together”.
“I know we will have different views but the more we can pull together the better Aberdeen will benefit.”
But soon his political opponents were raising concerns about the new lord provost’s past.
Secretary of the council’s Conservative group, Emma Farquhar, said: “This was a concerning choice for lord provost by the SNP.
“The first citizen of the city should be beyond reproach.
The new Midstocket and Rosemount councillor added: “For the SNP and Lib Dems to choose someone who had to resign from high profile roles due to gross misconduct claims and was not reinstated, I find that as a woman concerning.
“That said, it’s up to the lord provost now to make clear that this was in the past and through his work in the new role to be an example of good conduct.”
