Rules for all

The ruling Labour group in Aberdeen City Council has declared its intention to overturn the result of the recent public referendum regarding the proposed redevelopment of the city’s Union Terrace Gardens.

The proposed council vote on the future of the gardens has now become much more important than simply the future of the Garden Project. The issue is now about the primacy of our democratic processes.

While it is accepted that most incoming administrations will seek to amend some of the policies of their predecessors, it is without precedent to seek to overturn the clearly stated will of the electorate following a public vote.

Surely the principle that the will of the electorate must prevail is evident to those who hold elected office yet seek to block the proposed development, irrespective of their previous opposition to it.

Such a vote will be unparalleled and dangerous and must become the subject of much heart-searching and debate at the highest levels in the Scottish political establishment.

The important question surely is, does democracy prevail in Scotland in 2012 or can it simply be set aside on the whim of a political elite?

This is not a trivial matter. If the Garden Project is rejected then the only conclusion to be drawn is that we no longer live in a democratic society where the will of the people and the rule of law are paramount.

Where will that then leave us and those who fought to defend these fundamental principles in generations gone by?

Alan Sim

Queens Road

Aberdeen