Draft:Richard Brooks

Aberdeen City Council

Brooks was elected to the Aberdeen City Council in the May 2022 Scottish local elections, representing the Kincorth, Nigg, and Cove ward.^[7] He was subsequently appointed as the Leader of the Conservative Group on the council, serving as a primary opposition voice to the SNP and Liberal Democrat coalition administration.

As a councillor, Brooks sits on several key committees:^[1]

• Anti-Poverty and Inequality Committee
• Council
• Education and Children's Services Committee
• Finance and Resources Committee
• Net Zero, Environment and Transport Committee
• Urgent Business Committee

Brooks also represents the council on external bodies:

• COSLA Convention^[8]
• Grampian Valuation Joint Board^[9]

2024 UK general election

Brooks was the Scottish Conservative and Unionist candidate for his childhood home constituency, Arbroath and Broughty Ferry, in the 2024 United Kingdom general election.^[10] He campaigned on platforms of local investment, boosting tourism, and supporting the regional economy against SNP policies. He was ultimately unsuccessful, with the seat being won by the SNP's Stephen Gethins.

Poverty and social action

A long-standing advocate for social justice, Brooks co-founded the charity TLC in June 2002 alongside his wife, Amy.^[11] TLC is widely recognised as the first exclusive food bank in Scotland^[12] and has grown into a multi-award-winning organisation, including Prestige Scottish Charity of the Year,^[13] that runs school breakfast clubs, befriending services,^[14] youth clubs, and food crisis campaigns.

For his philanthropic work, Brooks has met with King Charles III and Queen Camilla and received national recognition,^[11] including commendations from the Scottish Government.^[15]

He frequently pushes for stronger local and national governmental action on child poverty, which affects an estimated 20% of children in Aberdeen.^[16]

Energy

Brooks, as leader of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist group on Aberdeen City Council, argues that the UK should leverage Aberdeen’s expertise and resources to pursue "maximum extraction" from the North Sea. He contends that utilising these domestic reserves is essential to "minimise and eradicate the need to import energy," especially as global conflicts destabilise supply chains. Brooks further warns that Aberdeen’s standing as the "energy capital of Europe" is being severely undermined by the "presumption against oil and gas" held by both the SNP and Labour governments. By advocating for a shift away from what critics call a "net zero obsession," Brooks emphasises that prioritising local production is a matter of both economic survival and national security.^[17]

Council Tax

Following the 2026 Aberdeen council tax rising by 9.85%, Brooks raised his voice in anger that the ruling group continue to “raise taxes and deliver less” and “You can frame that however you want, but £9.99 is a tenner in my language... And 9.85 is 10%".^[18]

Local infrastructure and transport

Brooks has been a vocal opponent of the SNP-led council's transport policies, most notably leading the campaign against the controversial experimental bus gates, the Low Emission Zones (LEZ) introduced in Aberdeen city centre,^[19] and the failure of the Hydrogen buses, stating, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that this was on the horizon... I think the administration should come out and apologise to the public. They've backed the wrong horse".^[20] He has argued that the measures have severely damaged the local economy, alienated the public, and reduced footfall for city centre businesses.

In June 2025, Brooks criticised Aberdeen City Council’s SNP–Liberal Democrat administration over policies linked to the Aberdeen Rapid Transit project and called for the removal of city centre bus gates introduced in 2023. He argued that the restrictions were negatively affecting city centre businesses and trade.^[21][22]

Brooks has been a vocal supporter of the campaign to save the existing football pitches, where plans for a new sports facility in Aberdeen have been put on hold following a significant community backlash regarding the potential loss of a youth football pitch.^[23]

Housing and RAAC crisis

Brooks was heavily involved in fighting for fair compensation for homeowners affected by the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) housing crisis in the Balnagask area of Aberdeen. He consistently pressured the council administration to offer pre-RAAC valuations to affected residents, a policy the council eventually adopted after nearly two years of campaigning.^[24] Brooks also called for the first ever full-council minute silence following the death of a RAAC campaigner.^[24]

Education and child safety

Sitting on the Education and Children's Services Committee, Brooks has frequently challenged the council administration over the safety and management of Aberdeen's Early Learning Centres (ELCs).^[25][26]

Following critical Care Inspectorate reports detailing unsupervised children and poor facility security, he successfully passed motions requiring urgent investigations and improved safety standards across the council's ELC estate.^[27]

Aberdeen F.C. stadium proposal

In October 2025, Brooks supported progress on proposals for a new Aberdeen F.C. stadium at Aberdeen beach, following discussions between council leaders and the club’s leadership, including chairman Dave Cormack.^[28] Brooks said the club’s economic figures would “blow you away” and argued that the council administration was “under pressure” to progress a deal before the 2027 local elections.^[28] He stated that the club were "not expecting the council to foot the bill for all this. This is not the way they’re approaching it.”^[28] for the stadium and would seek investors and sponsors, describing the proposed development as a community stadium requiring partnership between the club and the council.