‘Rotten borough’ PR chief is first choice COUNCIL

Council leaders in Aberdeen last night revealed that a PR chief at a “rotten borough” English authority is the man they want to transform the city’s public image – even though he has yet to accept their £80,000a-year job offer.

Takki Sulaiman is employed at Tower Hamlets in east London, which has been at the centre of “cronyism and corruption” allegations recently.

Aberdeen’s deputy council leader, Marie Boulton, confirmed that Mr Sulaiman, a former Labour councillor, is the preferred candidate to take on a new head of communications and promotion job in the Granite City.

The role was created as part of a restructuring of the council, but prompted complaints from opposition members who argued the money could be better spent elsewhere.

Senior members of the Labour-led administration argued that the appointment would help boost the outward perception of an authority which has been dogged by controversy in recent years.

A divisive battle over the future of Union Terrace Gardens was followed by an attempt to ban First Minister Alex Salmond from all council property in the city. Criticism has been levelled at the leadership over the £ 107million Marischal Square revamp of the old council HQ.

Mrs Boulton, who convened an appointments panel to fill the post, said she was “hopeful” that Mr Sulaiman would accept the job, but played down the media storm surrounding the London borough council. She said: “We went through a rigorous interview process, we had stakeholder groups involved throughout, the corporate management team interviewed him and he came in front of elected members and the chief executive. All of the groups recognised that he was the preferred candidate.”

Mr Sulaiman has not yet accepted the job and did not respond to inquiries from the Press and Journal yesterday.