John Alexander is stepping down as leader of Dundee City Council to take up a new job and spend more time with his family.
Mr Alexander, elected as a councillor for Strathmartine aged just 23 in 2012, is quitting politics altogether at the end of this month.
The SNP politician, who became leader of the council in 2017, said: “I’m sure my announcement will come as a shock to many, perhaps with the exception of my friends and colleagues who have been incredibly supportive over recent months.
“The reality is that over a number of months, the balance between being a good dad and husband, as well as an effective council leader, has become more challenging.
John Alexander quits council role ‘to enjoy as much time with my family as I can’
“I want to take the opportunity, during the narrow window in which my boys still want to spend quality time with their dad, to enjoy as much time with my family as I can.”
Mr Alexander will leave his role on August 29 to take up a new position with Perth-based energy firm SSEN.
He said: “In many senses, I’ve already been in politics for far longer than I would have ever anticipated.
“I’ve now spent the majority of my adult life working dedicated to public service and it’s certainly been a shift.
“I have never been driven by a desire to have a long political career and my motivation has always been to represent the city that I love to the best of my ability.
“I leave office with the knowledge that in spite of the challenges, a lot of progress has been made.
“I also have to acknowledge that the last seven years have certainly not been without their challenges: the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis, 14 years of cuts owing to austerity and problems that have arisen over that time.”
Mr Alexander says highlights have included overseeing the transformation of the former Michelin factory into the Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc, the signing of the £350 million Tay Cities Deal, his work on reducing drug deaths in the last two years and helping the Eden Project get planning permission.
He was also the council leader when V&A Dundee opened in 2018 and helped bring Radio 1’s Big Weekend back to the city.
However, he has also faced difficult moments with the local authority.
Earlier this year, he deleted his X (formerly Twitter) account in a row over allegedly misleading economic figures.
He also faced criticism for the council’s handling of the Olympia saga, when the pool needed a two-year closure and £6 million worth of repairs, before eventually agreeing to a public probe into what was going wrong with the centre following a second closure in February this year.
Mr Alexander has also faced scrutiny over where to cut council budgets during his time in office.
Outside of the council, he has held roles including leading the Scottish Cities Alliance for seven years and being a board member of NHS Tayside.
‘Difficult tightrope’ of balancing council leadership and family
Mr Alexander, who grew up in Kirkton, says balancing his work and family life has “always been a difficult tightrope”.
He added: “I’ve been reflecting a lot in recent months and if there’s one thing that I don’t want to live with, it’s a regret that I missed out on important time with my family.
“My boys will be adults in the blink of an eye and it’s easy to forget how quickly time marches on and so I’m making a change now, moving into an exciting new role, but leaving the city with passionate and committed colleagues.”
Mr Alexander’s departure will spark a by-election in the Strathmartine ward and the council’s SNP administration will need to find a new leader.
First Minister John Swinney said: “John Alexander has been a great local councillor and brilliant leader for the SNP group and council in Dundee.
“I thank him for his dedication and hard work over many years – he should be incredibly proud of everything he has achieved in his time.
“I understand his reasons for standing down and am sorry to be losing his talents from frontline SNP politics.
“The SNP Dundee group has an abundance of experience and talent, and I look forward to working closely with the next group leader to improve the lives of people across Dundee.”
Conversation