James Lamond

He donned the robes as the Granite City's first citizen in May 1970, and in the General Election the following month was elected MP for a Lancashire seat. It was a double life which appeared unsustainable - and barely after a year passed, he was cut adrift from the provost's chair by the city Labour Party in a night of the long knives.

He resigned from the council, devoted himself to parliamentary business and remained member for Oldham East (later Oldham Central and Royston) for the next 22 years. Then, in 1992, he retired from parliament and returned to local government.

Lamond was an assiduous politician who somehow never quite fitted in at Westminster. A stout devotee of the Labour left, he would not have been bracketed as "hard left", but he was nevertheless an active member of the communist-led World Peace Council, and held office within it. Around 1974, his involvement led to his name being included in a published list of Labour MPs of particular interest to the security services because of their close links to the Soviet Union and regular visits there.

With Eric Heffer, Arthur Latham and Tony Benn, the "fearsome foursome" were considered over-friendly to the Soviet bloc. Of the group, only Tony Benn really mattered, and he in turn was at that time marginalised by Prime Ministers Wilson and Callaghan.

Born and raised in Aberdeen, Lamond worked as a draughtsman with the North-East Regional Hospital Board, and from early days had political ambition. Elected to Aberdeen Corporation in 1959, he eyed the safe Labour seat of Aberdeen North, then being vacated by the veteran Hector Hughes. But after being narrowly beaten in the selection process by colleague Bob Hughes (now Lord Hughes of Woodside), Lamond looked elsewhere for a winnable seat and was selected for Oldham East. His stated intention to continue as Lord Provost did not find favour with political comrades, and after a year he was ousted.

His legacy as 161st first citizen of the Granite City was that he actively cared for tradition and the office of provost. He continued the practice of having provost's lampposts outside his Rosemount home and he took quiet delight in surprising political enemies by insisting on the privilege of donning the uniform of Lord Lieutenant in formal ceremonial. As Queen's representative, he outranked military brass accompanying him when he took the salute so attired in 1971, with the Gordon Highlanders exercising their right to march through the burgh, "colours flying, drums beating and bayonets fixed".

After departing Westminster, he returned to local politics the following year, being elected to Grampian Regional Council in 1993, quickly earning his old reputation as a councillor who prepared for meetings well by reading his papers assiduously. He was accompanied on this third stage of political life by his wife, June. They both retired from Aberdeen City Council in May this year with 46 years' service between them.

Lamond always presented himself smartly turned-out, wavy hair neatly parted. In later years with Grampian Regional Council, he proved excellent company on oil exchange visits between Aberdeen and Houston, relating late-night tales from behind the scenes of the corridors of power in a quiet-spoken understated manner, always self-effacing and polite.

He died nine days short of his 79th birthday following pneumonia, and had survived two bouts of clostridium difficile over the summer. He is survived by his wife June; daughters Angela, Chris and Jenny (herself continuing family tradition as an Aberdeen councillor), grandchildren and one great-grandchild. By GORDON CASELY