A CONTROVERSIAL Tory who had been lined up to be the new Aberdeen Council co-leader has withdrawn his nomination after intense backlash from opposition parties.

Ryan Houghton was made the Aberdeen Conservative group leader on Monday, and was to face a vote on Thursday which could have seen him become council co-leader.

However, The National understands that Houghton would have lost that vote as he would not have had the support of the nine suspended Labour councillors who are in coalition with the Tories in Aberdeen.

A source told this paper that Houghton’s history of posting racist and antisemitic comments online, including suggesting that some of the events around the Holocaust had been “fabricated”, meant those suspended councillors would not have voted for him to become co-leader.

READ MORE: Tory councillor to lead Aberdeen Conservatives despite racist internet history

The revelations reportedly left the Tories scrambling for a replacement.

In a series of posts uncovered by The National and the Twitter account @matesjacob, Tory councillor also suggested fellow users on a martial arts forum he frequented should have a debate on how the Holocaust had been “exaggerated by the victors”.

In other discussions he said he didn’t see how homosexuality was good for the human race and, in comments that will only add to claims that the Tories have an Islamophobia problem, Houghton claimed Muslims were having big families in a bid to create “Eurabia”.

Although the SNP are the largest party in the Aberdeen council, a coalition of Tory and former Labour representatives is in power.

In 2017, while Kezia Dugdale was Scottish Labour leader, nine Labour councillors were suspended from her party for entering into that coalition.

The National:

Anas Sarwar (above), who became the party’s new leader in February, has indicated that he still believes these suspended councillors are enacting Labour policies and that he would like to see them back in his party.

Jenny Laing leads the formerly Labour group, which the National understands had told the Tories in no uncertain terms that they would not support Houghton’s bid for co-leadership.

Now, the Tory has announced he is withdrawing his nomination, claiming he had been made a “political football” by his opponents.

Houghton said: “Over the last 24 hours I’ve been incredibly grateful for the messages of support and congratulations from across Aberdeen.

“However, it is now clear to me that my nomination as co-leader has become a political football between parties and a distraction from the priorities which we are elected to serve the public working towards.

“This is despite being cleared by a QC-led investigation which reviewed all the facts, and the totality of my record of public service including working with and serving all communities in Aberdeen.

READ MORE: Jewish group hit out at Tories for lack of action over holocaust row councillor

“Therefore I am withdrawing my nomination for co-leader.

“The focus of all politicians should be on the recovery of Aberdeen following the Covid-19 pandemic and this requires trust in the institutions of our city.

“There will be an urgent business committee on Thursday where the administration will bring forward its proposals for the council’s committee places, following the election of Douglas Lumsden to the Scottish Parliament.”

Lumsden had been the Tory co-leader of the council before becoming an MSP after the elections on May 6.

The SNP MP for Aberdeen South, Stephen Flynn, previously wrote to Sarwar urging him to intervene to prevent Houghton’s election.

Flynn told Sarwar: “I have admired your work in the Scottish Parliament in the fight against all forms of racism and discrimination and you will know that actions speak louder than words.

“On that basis, I am sure you will agree that you cannot sit silent on this issue.”