Council under increasing pressure over budget
By James Hamilton

Thousands of people marched through Aberdeen yesterday to protest about massive cuts being made to council services. The demonstration was organised in response to Aberdeen City Council's announcement of a £27 million funding reduction earlier this year.

The Accounts Commission is to hold a public hearing into the council's finances later this year following concerns raised in a review by Audit Scotland.

Many of those directly affected by the cuts were at the march, including groups representing the homeless, disabled and elderly, as well as those opposing school and leisure centre closures.

Councillors from the ruling Liberal Democrat/SNP administration were heckled by the crowd during a rally following the march.

Despite the rain and snow, an estimated 2000 people marched along Union Street carrying banners and wearing slogan T-shirts demanding the councillors re-think their decision.

Kevin Stewart, deputy leader of the council and SNP group leader, was jeered when he took to the stage to address the crowds.

He said: "Because of what we have inherited we have had to make these cuts.

"What we can do is engage with people to try to solve the problems we have - please engage with us rather than reacting in this way."

Liberal Democrat councillor Kate Dean, the leader of the council, did not speak at the rally. She said she was joining the march to put pressure on the Scottish government.

She said: "We would not have had to make these cuts if we had a fairer funding settlement from the government for Aberdeen. We need the funding formula changed.

"We are working with these vulnerable groups to find solutions and we will continue to do so."

Aberdeen Labour MP Anne Begg said the council had made its decisions because it was "either heartless or incompetent", while the Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Nicol Stephen, the local MSP, called on all parties to work together for a solution.

Stephen conceded his party was partly to blame for the situation, but he slammed finance minister John Swinney for refusing to meet him and council bosses for a discussion about Scottish Government funding for Aberdeen.

Swinney has offered to meet them once the government's watchdog, the Account Commission, has held an inquiry into Aberdeen City Council's finances.

Stephen said: "On and behalf of my party, I accept some of the responsibility.

"I wrote to John Swinney regarding Aberdeen's poor funding from Holyrood. He refused to meet, and suggested we meet in two months, which is ridiculous."

Among the groups demonstrating was homelessness charity Aberdeen Cyrenians, which has been camped outside the council's future headquarters building at Marischal College all week in protest at the £900,000 budget cut it faces. Paul Hannan, the Cyrenians's chief executive, said: "For the council these cuts are just figures on paper, but we face losing 30 staff - a quarter of our workforce - which will hit the most vulnerable people very hard."

Carol Hogan of the Aberdeen Ice Hockey Club said the closure of the city's ice rink would deprive the region and the country of future sporting talent.

She said: "We have Scottish and UK champions here, but it looks like a lot of them won't be carrying on."

Beatrice Coutts, 69, a retired occupational therapist, said: "I think it is a big red herring saying it is the government of Scotland that is to blame.

"This council is inept, inexperienced and has totally devastated the fabric of this city."

Yesterday's demonstration was organised by the Grampian Senior Citizens Forum and Aberdeen Trades Union Council.

Sultan Feroz, secretary of the trades union council, said: "Our big message to the city councillors is change your mind or we will eventually change you'."