27.03.19
Suspended senior director quits Aberdeen City Council
A senior director at Aberdeen City Council has resigned from the authority after he was suspended earlier this month.
Frank McGhee was suspended from his £115,000 a year role as director of commissioning pending a full investigation by the council, although the reason for his suspension is unknown.
McGhee was the latest in a line of suspensions at the Scottish council, and a spokesperson for the local authority confirmed that he has now resigned.
Earlier this year, Aberdeen city councillor Alan Donnelly was suspended from his party following a police investigation into a sexual harassment allegation made against him.
McGhee’s suspension also comes 21 months after a group of nine Labour councillors were suspended by the party after they formed an administration with the Conservative Party Group against the orders of the then-party leader Kezia Dugdale.
The so-called ‘Aberdeen nine’ remain suspended by Labour. The current SNP group leader at the city council, Stephen Flynn, has now called for Scottish Labour to officially expel the councillors.
He called the situation a “complete farce” and questioned why the suspended councillors have been out on the campaign trial promoting Labour policies.
Aberdeen’s latest outgoing director joined the council in late 2017 and has more than 30 years’ experience in the public sector and has held two national advisor roles for government departments.
McGhee was one of four directors working underneath chief executive Angela Scott at Aberdeen City Council, tasked with implementing a controversial new operating model aiming to save the council £125m over five years.
His role at the council saw him responsible for ensuring all council services met with local authority priorities.
The Aberdeen nine’s case is currently awaiting a hearing at the National Constitutional Committee (NCC) which does have the power to expel members.
Image credit - Allan Maciver