Senior Labour politicians call for suspended 'Aberdeen 9' to be readmitted to party

Two senior Scottish Labour politicians have demanded the nine Aberdeen councillors suspended two years ago for entering into coalition with the Conservatives, be re-admitted to the party

Jackie Baillie has said the suspended Aberdeen Labour councillors should be readmitted to the party.

Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton and candidate for the Scottish Labour deputy leadership, and Ian Murray MP for Edinburgh South who is running for the UK Labour deputy leadership, have both said the suspension should be lifted.

Ms Baillie, who is launching a campaign tour in Aberdeen today, said she would meet with the nine councillors who were suspended by former Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale in 2017 following the local government elections.

Ian Murray has backed the call for the suspended councillors to be readmitted to the party.

The nine councillors ignored warnings from party officials not to proceed with a power-sharing deal with 11 Tories and three independents after the 2017 council elections, and as a result were suspended. The move prompted SNP councillors in Aberdeen City Council - who had hoped to run the council - to call for the nine to be expelled from Labour.

However Today Ms Baillie said: "I have worked with colleagues at Holyrood to seek an end to the disciplinary process against the Aberdeen Nine, which has gone on for far too long. I believe these councillors should have the full rights and status as members of the Labour Party.

"The issue was raised at the post-election meeting of the Scottish Parliamentary Labour Party, which I chair, and I then raised the issue on behalf of the SPLP at the Scottish Executive Committee. I hope that an early resolution will now be achieved."

She added: “I believe that the best way to reunite the local party and to acknowledge the achievements of Labour councillors in Aberdeen over the last eight years is to end the suspension and restore them to full membership".

“If elected Labour deputy leader, I will seek an immediate resolution to this and I believe they should all be re-admitted to the party.

“The local government coalition has adopted the Aberdeen Labour manifesto commitments, including its anti-poverty strategy. Despite being one of the lowest funded councils in the country, which has been further decimated by SNP cuts from Holyrood, the coalition has invested heavily in capital infrastructure projects and housing, spends more than the national average on education and there have been no compulsory redundancies.

“The nine councillors, many of whom have been party members for decades, have never stopped putting Labour values into the governance of the city. It is time we as a party recognised that.”

Ms Baillie made the ballot paper for the Scottish Labour deputy leadership contest last night, after winning the support of Labour's Glasgow Southside CLP, the fourth to back her. Controversially part of the constituency covers the Westminster seat in which her rival for the deputy position, Councillor Matt Kerr, stood for in the General Election.

Councillor Kerr is also on the ballot paper after securing the support of three constituency Labour parties and the Communications Workers' Union and Unite.