Aberdeen’s Liberal Democrat councillors have condemned the Gaelic Language Plan adopted at today’s (19th August) meeting of Aberdeen City Council as “disproportionate and uncosted”.

The Liberal Democrats urged the council to get a report on the costs of the various actions proposed in the plan, but this was rejected by an alliance of Labour, SNP and Conservative councillors.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Ian Yuill said “Labour, SNP and Conservative councillors were happy to sign up to a plan which is completely uncosted. The plan includes things such as bilingual street name signs, bilingual council forms and bilingual public meetings – and all of these will cost money.”

Councillor Yuill also argued that the Gaelic Language Plan for Aberdeen was disproportionate given the tiny number of Gaelic speakers in the city.

Ian Yuill said “Less than one in a hundred Aberdeen residents speak Gaelic. The Gaelic Language Plan includes proposals which are frankly inappropriate for a city which has had no tradition of speaking Gaelic for hundreds of years.

“We need to support Gaelic and recognise its part in Scottish life. What is not needed is imposing a Gaelic Language Plan on a city and a population which has no Gaelic tradition.”