Legal threat over claims SNP made rival redundant in political attack – as council claims Aberdeen Inspired was TOLD not to fill vacant post

An Aberdeen councillor could face legal action – days after claiming he was being made redundant in a “politically motivated” budget day assault.

Labour’s Ross Grant has worked for the business improvement district, Aberdeen Inspired, since 2013.

And he came to The P&J to complain that council cuts to funding for his city centre manager role was the SNP and Lib Dems “making an opposition councillor redundant”.

His claims have been branded a “simply disingenuous attack on the reputation” of the SNP finance convener Alex McLellan, who swung the axe at Wednesday’s council budget meeting.

That night, he claimed he had only learned that Mr Grant had recently taken the city centre manager job during the fiery debate, as he announced plans to bring the role in-house at Marischal College.

Denying a “political hatchet job”, he said it would allow the local authority to seize “control of the narrative” amid the multi-million-pound regeneration of Aberdeen city centre.

Legal threat over claims city centre manager cut was ‘politically motivated’

But in an article published on Thursday, Mr Grant rejected that explanation.

He claimed it would “hold more water” – looking less “politically motivated” – if the move saved the cash-strapped city some money.

“You do have to wonder how it could possibly be that the administration was not aware that someone was in the post,” he added.

Now, the finance convener has hit back – and threatened to take his fellow Tillydrone, Old Aberdeen and Seaton councillor Mr Grant to court.

An email, seen by The P&J, shows senior council staff said they had “agreed” Aberdeen Inspired chief executive Adrian Watson would not fill the city centre manager vacancy.

The job came up when Mr Grant’s predecessor Innes Walker moved on over the Christmas period.

Appointed after an internal recruitment process, the Labour councillor took over on January 1.

But the Marischal College email trail, sent from within the council’s city development service on the morning of Wednesday’s budget vote, shows the local authority did not appear to know that.

And it makes clear that they did not think it could happen.

City centre manager cut was one council only thought possible if job was vacant

The SNP and Lib Dems tried to cut the funding last March. But they were advised not to, as the job was occupied and it would mean transferring the incumbent across to their staff.

This time around, the email from an unnamed official to council chiefs Jonathan Belford and Julie Wood confirmed: “[It] is competent [to take the job in-house].

On top of this, Mr Grant’s council register of interests – last updated in December 2022 – lists his job as “senior project manager” with Aberdeen Inspired.

It was only just before Wednesday’s budget vote that he declared an interest due to his new job title, hours after the SNP and Lib Dem proposals had been proposed.

Labour councillor told: Apologise or else…

SNP finance convener Mr McLellan argued the email was proof he did not know Mr Grant was in the job.

He said: “This claim that the council has made Councillor Grant redundant is simply disingenuous as correspondence from senior council officials confirms they understood the post to be vacant.

“I am deeply hurt by these unfounded claims that the reduction of funding was somehow politically motivated.

“Councillor Grant has made this personal, when the simple reality is that he either has the role on an interim basis or he was appointed by Aberdeen Inspired’s senior managers who knew the funding for the post was at risk.

“Councillor Grant has used this situation to attack my character and reputation in the community we both represent – and I will be considering my options, unless an apology is forthcoming immediately.

“In addition, Councillor Grant’s register of interest states that he holds the position of senior project manager at Aberdeen Inspired, not city centre manager.”

Pressed on what options he was alluding to, Mr McLellan confirmed he could take legal action or refer the matter to the standards watchdog.

Will Ross Grant apologise?

But Mr Grant, facing potential redundancy in three weeks, was unmoved by his ward colleague’s words.

“It is astonishing that Councillor McLellan has misunderstood his own budget and the implications of this upon me and Aberdeen Inspired,” he said, when asked if he would apologise.

“At the council meeting on Wednesday the legal officers at the meeting offered advice to me about the difficult position I found myself, and whether or not I should participate in the budget vote.

“And as the recording will show, I declared an interest on the matter.

“So perhaps Councillor McLellan should not only apologise to me but apologise for misrepresenting the facts.”

Escalating war of words as Aberdeen Inspired rejects council’s version of events

Meanwhile, his employer Aberdeen Inspired doubled down in its row with the council.

Despite the £42,000 cut, the local authority is still a major funder due to the levy it pays on its city centre property.

But a spokesman for the business improvement district refuted the council’s version of events, outlined in the leaked email.

In a statement, he made clear that claims chief executive Adrian Watson was warned not to hire anyone for the city centre manager job were a falsehood.

He also called into question how the unnamed senior council official could say, on Wednesday ahead of the budget vote, that the post was vacant.

“At no point were we advised not to fill this role and Aberdeen City Council was fully aware that Ross Grant was incumbent in the position of city centre manager,” he insisted.

“Ross was appointed to the permanent position of city centre manager from January 1 this year and has been doing an excellent job liaising with council officials and members on an almost daily basis.

“We look forward to any discussion with Aberdeen City Council on this matter.”

More on the Aberdeen City Council budget:

• Shocked VSA boss demands urgent talks with council chiefs after £200k blow ‘with no advance warning’
• Aberdeen budget: Who were the winners in crucial cash talks?
• ‘Half-empty’ Marischal College council HQ could be leased out to ‘big business’ tenants
• £1 deal at Aberdeen city centre car parks from 5pm amid claims bus gates are ‘killing business’
• £32m revamp of Castlegate and Queen Street confirmed as ‘reckless’ council ‘puts it on the credit card’
• Aberdeen budget: Bucksburn Swimming Pool reopening cash guaranteed and NO sports centres to close
• Aberdeen budget: Bus lane fines to almost double, Berryden roadworks shelved and VSA charity loses out
• Aberdeen budget: Relief for residents as £30 brown bin ‘garden tax’ AXED