Dundee Lord Provost John Letford is to step down at the next election, because at the age of 76 he feels it is “time to let go.”
Mr Letford, who represents Lochee as an independent, said: “I’ve loved it, but I’m conscious of the fact that I’ve been around for a bit.
“I’m sure I’ll wonder if I’m doing the right thing the nearer it gets to May, but it’s the decision I’ve made.
“I’ve not been put under any pressure by anyone either politically or privately. It’s my own decision.”
There have been numerous highlights, and lowlights, in Mr Letford’s career.
In 2001, he was famously ejected from the Scottish Parliament after branding the then transport minister Sarah Boyack “a disgrace” in a row over trunk road maintenance contracts.
Mr Letford said: “We decided to have a silent protest but it didn’t stay silent. She was asked a question and gave such a bland response and I found myself standing and shouting.
“The presiding officer asked me to sit down and be quiet, but I didn’t and two burly guards came along, put their hands on my shoulders and asked me to accompany them out of the building. I became a bit of a hero after that!”
In 2009, he quit the Labour group ultimately handing power to the SNP on the council.
He said: “The decision to leave the Labour party was not easy I’d been in the union and the party for a long time. But I was becoming increasingly disillusioned with the Labour party. Nationally, I was deeply distressed at Labour’s decision to invade Iraq and, locally, there were occasions when I was undermined.”
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“It was becoming increasingly apparent that support for the SNP was growing, but they weren’t represented and Labour refused to give the SNP the chance to share power when convenerships came up.
“The lowest point was when I was asked to give up being lord provost and give the depute lord provost a term of office.”
Mr Letford was born in Aberdeen, and moved to Dundee as a child after his parents separated. He worked for the Caledon Shipyard and became a shop steward. He was also shop steward at Robert Kellie’s in Dock Street, NCR and Nasbrit at Wester Gourdie.
He was a Labour Party activist in Charleston, and later became chairman of the local Labour committee. He stood for Tayside Regional Council in 1994, the revamped Dundee City Council in 1995 and was appointed lord provost in 2001.
Mr Letford said: “I still feel quite youthful and know I can carry on but it might be time to give a younger person the chance. I would love to continue with many of the initiatives and projects but there comes a time when you have to let go.
“The truth is it would be very difficult for a young person. Being lord provost is a full time-job more than that in fact. I spend around 80 hours a week at work.
“It would be very difficult to manage both if you had a young family or a mortgage. And there’s no substitute for experience it makes it easier with all those years behind you.”
Mr Letford hopes his legacy will be his work with young people.
He said: “The young people first and foremost is the most prominent thing for me. My work with young people would be my biggest legacy I’m very please to leave that in good hands.
“I’m also pleased to have had the opportunity to support the armed forces.”
He added: “I hope I have done a good job and not let anyone down.”