Aberdeen City Council: Laing sole leader after Lumsden becomes MSP

Labour councillor Jenny Laing has become the sole leader of Aberdeen City Council.

She has co-led the administration in recent years along side Conservative member Douglas Lumsden.

But Mr Lumsden has now been elected as an MSP for the north-east and stood down from his council co-leader role as a result - though he remains a councillor for the city.

Fellow Tory Ryan Houghton had then put himself forward to replace Mr Lumsden. However, he withdrew his nomination, after a backlash over posts he made on a blog several years ago on topics including the Holocaust - for which he was previously suspended by his party.

BREAKING: Cllr Ryan Houghton withdraws his bid to become co-leader of Aberdeen.

He was previously suspended by the Conservative party over comments made online several years ago. pic.twitter.com/vz7OhCPFgM

— Original 106 FM (@originalfm) May 11, 2021

At a meeting today, the Conservatives did not put forward any other candidates for the role. It means Ms Laing takes sole leadership, although Labour and the Tories remain in a coalition to run the council.

A series of other appointments have been confirmed by the council, as follows: