An Aberdeen SNP Councillor has denied defecting to Reform UK, after it was discovered that Aberdeen City Council’s website listed Alexander McLellan as representing Nigel Farage’s party. It has now been changed back to list the Tillydrone, Seaton and Old Aberdeen representative as a member of the SNP.
The error sparked confusion among constituents and prompted gleeful commentary from political opponents. McLellan immediately took to social media to clarify: “I have not, and will not, join Reform UK. This is an error and an insult to the people I represent.”
The glitch emerged after Luis Cook, a right-wing influencer, posted on Twitter/X that McLellan was the “first (direct) defection from the SNP to Reform”.
Cook’s post has since been deleted, with others on X gleefully calling out the error: “Reform UK’s Luis Cook rowing back that an SNP councillor had defected. Do we call him a misfluencer?”
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McLellan, who convenes Aberdeen’s powerful Finance and Resource Committee, was quick to hit back at the claims as a “lie” and told the Herald newspaper that the issue had been “reported to senior officials and is being investigated”.
As to how the mistake happened, council spokespeople have not clarified the precise reason, but at this time, there are no published official quotes from council spokespeople suggesting sabotage – all statements and coverage point toward a clerical or administrative oversight as the cause.
Although the digital hiccup was quickly reversed after it was discovered, it is not known how long the incorrect info remainined on the website, and the incident has left lingering questions about the robustness of council data handling. McLellan, meanwhile, reaffirmed his party loyalty, stating: “My priorities are, and always will be, the residents of Aberdeen and the SNP values I was elected to uphold.”
