Aberdeen councillor censured over confidential budget information

Image caption, Protests were held about the budget last year

A member of Aberdeen City Council's ruling administration has been censured for disclosing confidential budget information at a public meeting.

Independent Alliance group leader Marie Boulton shared authority budget information at a community council meeting in January last year.

The Standards Commission held a hearing into her conduct.

It was satisfied she had .

She disclosed the confidential information concerning the council's budget at a public meeting of Cults, Bieldside and Milltimber Community Council.

Mike McCormick, chairman of the hearing panel, said: "The requirement for councillors to maintain confidentiality is a fundamental requirement of the code."

The panel found that Councillor Boulton advised members of the community council that the council was looking at having to save 拢45m.

The panel accepted that she had not intended to disclose the information and had only done so under scrutiny at the meeting.

Aberdeen City Council is run by a coalition of Conservative, Labour and Independent councillors.