It could “only be a matter of time” before Aberdeen City Council’s SNP group implodes amid divisions over bus gates, according to its exiled former leader.
Alex Nicoll, who split from the party over its stance on the traffic measures, has warned there are others within the ruling coalition who disagree with leaders hellbent on defending the system.
His plea came as a public bust-up between two top SNP councillors caused their rivals to gasp in shock.
Lord Provost David Cameron said he would “deal with” finance boss Alex McLellan over the “very naughty word” he uttered after being stopped from speaking during crunch talks.
Mr McLellan faced further criticism for “slamming council property” as he closed his laptop with an angry thud in the heat of the moment.
Meanwhile, one SNP councillor who previously refused to vote for the bus gates won’t tell us why she appears to have changed her stance – as she sided with her Nationalist colleagues again this week…
Is Aberdeen’s SNP group at odds over bus gates?
This all comes as the battle over Aberdeen’s contentious city centre roads changes appears destined to reach court.
After a vote to make the system permanent in December, traders had worried that all hope was lost.
But now clothes shop boss Norman Esslemont has recruited a legal expert to scrutinise the system – and the solicitor has warned it would be “challengeable”.
It was against this fraught backdrop that the ruling SNP and Liberal Democrat coalition was dragged into another crisis meeting on the bus gates this week.
Alex Nicoll, a retired police sergeant who quit the group over the traffic system in October, hinted that all was not well within the administration.
‘You know who you are…’
Mr Nicoll said: “We are in a situation where the folk of Aberdeen look at this council and are absolutely aghast at us still arguing over a set of bus gates.
“The public have been very confused by this, they have not supported it.
“But let’s be honest, we could make amendments and, in the administration, a number of people did want to make amendments.
“You know who you are. I’m not going to embarrass you by naming you.
“But I have spoken with some of you and I am in no doubt that this does not have the full backing of the administration.”
Onlookers might have suspected that one of those councillors he was referring to could be Bridge of Don member Alison Alphonse.
But now her position is a mystery.
How did Alison Alphonse vote?
At the meeting last autumn, as councillors tussled over whether to make the bus gate system permanent, Alison Alphonse refused to vote alongside her party.
However, she did not go as far as voting against the bus gates.
When further talks over the bus gates took place on January 3, she didn’t turn up at the meeting. It’s understood SNP leaders had pleaded with her to attend, and bolster their vote.
But on Thursday, she sided with her administration colleagues – ruling out the prospect of the council referring the issue to the Scottish Government.
We visited her home to ask for an explanation, but the elected member refused to tell the public who voted her into office why she voted in this manner.
What was the laptop-slamming bust-up all about?
Hours after Mr Nicoll’s ominous words about an administration on the brink of breakdown, tensions escalated again in the Town House.
It came as opposition calls for co-leader Ian Yuill to step down over the bus gates debacle were thrown out by his colleagues.
About an hour into these discussions, finance boss Alex McLellan attempted to interject in proceedings.
It may have been to support Mr Yuill, but we could never know what was on his mind at the time.
The Lord Provost had earlier declared a limit on any more contributions.
And as he had refused to bend that rule for others earlier, he shut down his younger colleague to stop him from speaking.
“Sorry Councillor McLellan,” he said after fixing him with a look for a few moments.
At that, a thud could be heard echoing across the chamber – followed by an “oooh” emanating from the rival benches.
‘I saw him mouth a very naughty word’
The situation brought forward an unlikely defender of the Lord Provost – as a councillor often at loggerheads with him leapt to his defence.
Independent Jennifer Stewart said: “What I saw from Councillor McLellan to you, slamming down the computer and mouthing a very naughty word, I don’t think that was right.”
She reassured her old foe: “And that was genuinely in your defence.”
Mr Cameron replied: “I will deal with that.”
Just when it appeared the drama was over, Labour’s Deena Tissera rose to make another point…
“He did slam council property as well,” she added – as former provost Barney Crockett failed to hold back a chuckle from his position nearby.
One councillor, who was also in the chamber on Thursday, told The P&J the “very naughty word” began with the letter F.
‘They can’t even keep their own group together’
Conservative group leader Rick Brooks last night claimed the tense scenes showed that leaders were “failing to keep the group together”.
Mr Brooks said: “Thursday’s meetings put beyond doubt the SNP/Lib Dem administration’s contempt for the business community and anyone who opposes their bus gate obsession.
“The only thing Allard and Yuil are focused on is keeping their administration together, and based on the outbursts, it is only a matter of time before they fail at that too.”
Do you think councillors opposed to the bus gates should speak out? Let us know in our comments section below
What does Mr McLellan say about his outburst?
Mr McLellan side-stepped our questions over the “outburst” and its fallout. Whether Mr Cameron “had words” with him remains unclear.
He instead aimed his ire at the Tory group, and slammed Labour’s leaders for a “breakdown in communication” with council officials.
The finance chief said: “Our partnership are investing over £100m in city centre regeneration, and continue to create an environment for businesses to invest.”
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Aberdeen traders launch crowd-funder to take council to court over bus gates
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