The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Candidates encouraged to intervene Tory plea to would-be MPs
Labour’s Westminster candidates in Aberdeen have been urged to intervene in the dispute between the national party and the local group.
Tory candidates Ross Thomson and Grace O’Keeffe have called on their Labour counterparts Callum O’Dwyer (Aberdeen South) and Orr Vinegold (Aberdeen North) to either back Scottish party leader Kezia Dugdale or city group leader Jenny Laing.
It follows days of political infighting after Ms Dugdale’s decision on Wednesday to suspend all nine of the party’s councillors for defying national party bosses and forming a coalition with the Conservatives and independents to run Aberdeen City Council.
The party’s ruling Scottish Executive Committee decided the local group, who ran as Aberdeen Labour at the election, could not forge any deal with the Conservatives, but have backed coalitions with the SNP elsewhere.
It’s understood the rebels will not back down although the opposition SNP group have called for the nine to seek re-election to their seats.
Last night Mr O’Dwyer said it was “disappointing” the local group had been suspended and the situation “should have been avoided”.
Mr Vinegold would not take a stance.
Mr O’Dwyer added: “As this is a matter of implementing party rules this could, and should, have been avoided.”
Mr Vinegold said: “I think this is something that will be settled by the parties involved and, as I am not one of them, I do not have a view.”
Mr Thomson, who was vice-convener of finance in the last local authority coalition, said: “The local group were doing the right thing for the city to provide stability after what has been a difficult time for the local economy.”
Ms O’Keeffe added: “It is clear the party is badly divided, and is in complete chaos from top to bottom.”
A husband and wife at the heart of the Granite City Labour movement have been divided over the recent suspension.
North-east Labour frontbench MSP, Lewis Macdonald remains a member of the party, while his wife Sandra, who was elected as a councillor for the George Street/Harbour ward, has been suspended along with the rest of her colleagues.
Mr Macdonald backed Ms Dugdale’s stance, stating it was “right to follow the rules of the party”, but would not be drawn on his personal opinion.