The votes of Conservative and Labour councillors blocked an attempt to give all 45 members of Aberdeen City Council the chance to have their say on whether or not to reopen central Union Street.

The vote came at the start of a special meeting of the City Council on Wednesday 12th January which other councillors and I had called in an attempt to get the Council to reopen central Union Street to buses and taxis. Council rules meant that two thirds of the councillors had to agree to discuss this. Despite 24 councillors backing this, the votes of 21 Conservative, Labour and Independent councillors meant no discussion took place.

This was an insult to democracy and to the people with disabilities, older people and others who have effectively been excluded from the city centre for most of the last two years. It also means continuing delays caused by diverting bus services along Bridge Street, Guild Street and Market Street.

Only four councillors backed closing central Union Street in November, a majority of councillors at the special Council meeting made clear they wanted all 45 councillors to decide the future of central Union Street, yet a minority of councillors stopped that discussion even taking place.

The Conservative and Labour councillors who blocked discussion today will have to answer to the people of Aberdeen at the Council elections in May. That election cannot come a day too soon.

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