A long-standing Aberdeenshire councillor is facing his second leadership test in the space of a week after SNP colleagues lodged a fresh bid to boot him from a cross-council transport partnership.
Liberal Democrat Peter Argyle has accused opposition councillors of once again bringing “party politics” into an apolitical body ahead of the motion to remove him as vice-chairman of Nestrans.
SNP Stonehaven and District councillor, Graeme Clark, will bring forward the motion at the group’s next meeting on Wednesday at the Aberdeen Harbour Marine Centre.
Aboyne, Upper Deeside and Donside councillor Mr Argyle held onto his position as head of the Aberdeen City and Shire Strategic Development Planning Authority (SDPA) last week after SNP member David Aitchison attempted to vote him out and replace him.
The Westhill and District councillor argued a member of the ruling administration and the chairman of the infrastructure services committee (ISC) should be head of the planning body instead.
However Mr Argyle accused the ruling administration of injecting politics into a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and Aberdeenshire Council which was apolitical.
Mr Argyle was at the helm of the ISC until June when the local authority’s SNP group teamed up with the Progressive Alliance and the Democratic Independent and Green Group (Digg) to takeover from the Tory and Lib Dem-led Aberdeenshire Alliance.
Speaking yesterday Mr Argyle said: “My only comment really is if it was inappropriate to take such a motion to the SDPA, it is even more inappropriate to take it to the Nestrans board. It is not a committee or anything like that.”
He added Nestrans – the purpose of which is to establish a long-term regional transport strategy for the whole of the north-east – is an “arm’s length organisation”.
Mr Clark said his move had nothing to do with Mr Argyle’s competency at the job.
“It is nothing to do with Peter, he is a good friend of mine,” he explained.
“We obviously feel the vice-chairman should be from the administration. I do personally believe the vice-chairman of Nestrans should be a part of the administration.”
The Nestrans board is made up of four Councillors from Aberdeen City Council, four from Aberdeenshire Council and another four non-councillors appointed by the minister for transport.
It is chaired by Aberdeen councillor Ramsay Milne.