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Alison Johnstone MSP

Law and justice

Keith Brown MSP

Dorothy Bain KC

The Rt Hon Lord Carloway KC PC

Elections and referendums
Scottish Parliament elections

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Local elections

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Scotland and the United Kingdom

Sunak ministry

The Rt Hon Rishi Sunak MP

The Rt Hon Alister Jack MP

Administration

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen is the convener of the Aberdeen City Council in Scotland.

They are elected by the city council and serve not only as the chair of that body, but as a figurehead for the entire city. They are equivalent in many ways to the institution of mayor that exists in many other countries.

According to Munro [1] in Aberdeen up to the end of the sixteenth century, the provost was elected on the first Monday after Michaelmas. From then until 1833 the election took place on the first Wednesday after Michaelmas, and from then (at least until 1897) elections were held on the Friday after the first Tuesday in November. He gives the example of John Cheyne elected 1593 who would have continued in office until the Michaelmas election of 1594. The dates below, up to 1897 recognise this pattern.

Each of the 32 Scottish local authorities elects a Convener or provost, but only the cities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow have a Lord Provost. While this was confirmed in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973[2] and subsequently in the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994[3] the title Lord Provost of Aberdeen was formally established in 1863 when Queen Victoria knighted Sir Alexander Anderson designing him 'Lord Provost of Aberdeen'. Until then, while various petitions, and other documents variously addressed the holder as Lord Provost, the title was correctly Provost of Aberdeen.[1]

Since 1899, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, has also been ex officio the Lord-Lieutenant of the city. Following local government re-organisation brought about by the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, this arrangement was confirmed in the Lieutenancies Act 1997.[4]

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

painting of Alexander Anderson, by Sir George Reid. dark image of him standing, with a blue chair to his left.
Sir Alexander Anderson of Blelack, Provost of Aberdeen (1859 - 1865) by Sir George Reid

20th century

James Walker standing upright, one hand in pocket, wearing fur-trimmed red robe
James Walker, by Sir George Reid

21st century

References

  1. ^ a b "Memorials of the aldermen, provosts, and Lord provosts of Aberdeen, 1272–1895". 1897. Retrieved 7 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973". Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  3. ^ "Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994". Retrieved 24 January 2011.
  4. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997". Retrieved 24 January 2011.

Memorials of the Aldermen, Provosts and Lord Provosts of Aberdeen 1272–1895, Alexander M Munro, 1897

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