SCOTTISH Labour leader Anas Sarwar has called for the suspended Aberdeen Nine to be let back into the Labour Party.
The nine councillors were suspended from the party in 2017 after forming a coalition with the Tories in the wake of the council elections.
Following former leader Richard Leonard’s resignation, the group had said they were hopeful a new leader would see them reinstated.
“I think we’re a great advert for what Scottish Labour is all about,” said Jenny Laing, the co-leader of Aberdeen City Council.
During an interview with BBC Good Morning Scotland today, Sarwar backed allowing the councillors back into the party. They are currently suspended until 2022.
“I want them to be back in. I believe they are Labour councillors who are working on the frontline delivering Labour policies in Aberdeen, a Labour manifesto in Aberdeen, making progress in Aberdeen and actually won the UK council of the year,” he told listeners. “We should be proud of that fact.”
Despite that, the MSP said he “opposed both the UK and Scottish Tories” who he believes are “wrong in so many areas”.
READ MORE: 'Aberdeen Nine' to remain suspended from Labour until 2022
He insisted parties should work together – citing examples including the SNP working with Labour on the period products bill or the Greens collaborating with other groups during the 2020 exams row.
“So I’m not averse to working with individual political parties on individual issues because I do think there comes a point where there are issues where you have to work together in the national interest,” he said.
Before his resignation, Leonard insisted that keeping administrative suspensions in place against the Aberdeen Nine would send a “clear message that serious rule breaches will result in serious repercussions”.
He added: “It is disappointing that the nine councillors in three-and-a-half years have offered neither regret nor a resolution to avoid this decision.
“I have expressed my frustration before that this case has taken so long to be brought to a conclusion.
“Now it is time to move on.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel