Stronger as a ‘partner’?

SIR, – In March 2014, Aberdeen City Council sent a letter to all its citizens, guaranteeing them that Aberdeen “would be stronger as a partner within the United Kingdom”.

Just over a year on, this is clearly not the case.

The oil price slump has hit Aberdeen hard and, so far, only the Scottish Government has stepped forward to mitigate the effects.

The Aberdeen HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) office, which we were told was at risk unless we voted “No”, is set to be closed, anyway. We also face the prospect of the north-east paying the UK Government for HS2 when it will actively damage our local economy to the tune of £220million.

Aberdeen and Scotland as a whole are far from being considered partners in the UK. With the Scotland Bill, we have seen the will of the majority of the Scottish people ignored in the UK Parliament and instead we are under the cosh of parties with one Scottish MP each.

That is not a partnership; that is a dictatorship.

The only course of action for the council now is to issue a follow-up letter either praising the Westminster government for how brilliantly the “partnership” is going or admitting they were wrong.

Having forced themselves into the discussion, keeping the citizens updated on progress is now obligatory.

S. Graham, Fernielea Crescent, Aberdeen.