THE co-leader of Aberdeen City Council is to quit as leader of the SNP group.
Alex Nicoll, who has been an elected member since 2015 for the Kincorth / Nigg / Cove ward, said it had been an honour to serve the council in a statement.
A new leader will be chosen on Monday evening at the party group's AGM.
The SNP won a record 20 seats last year after gaining one extra councillor, ending the city's previous Better Together Tory and Labour coalition. They struck a deal with the LibDems.
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Nicoll, who is married to MSP Audrey Nicoll, said: “It has been a real honour to lead this council and to serve the good folk of Aberdeen.
“I turned 65 last week and I have taken some time since then to reflect on what I want to do and commit to going forward.
“After discussions with my family and friends, I have decided not to seek re-election as leader at the SNP group’s upcoming AGM.
“I am incredibly thankful to the many people who have supported me on my journey, which has taken me from growing up in Heathryfold to leading Aberdeen City Council.”
He added: "I believe that I have laid a firm foundation for whoever my successor is.
"Our council has now re-built relations with the Scottish Government so that we can work together for the benefit of this city, we have established new committees that will lead the fight against both poverty and climate change, and we have delivered not just a school estates review but also put in place a budget to deliver the city’s first green academy."
Nicoll intends to continue as a councillor despite stepping back from his role as co-leader.
The depute leader of Aberdeen SNP, Councillor Miranda Radley, said: "We are all thankful to Alex for his hard work over the last three years as group leader.
"I am also thankful for all of the support and guidance he has offered to me as a fellow ward councillor and as his depute. Alex led us to a record 20 councillors at the last elections and helped put the SNP in power in Aberdeen for the first time in a decade.
"Our council is in a better place thanks to Alex’s leadership."
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