Martin Ford (politician)

Martin A. Ford is a Scottish politician, who is the Scottish Green Party councillor for the East Garioch ward of Aberdeenshire Council. He had a prominent role in the consideration of a planning application for a golf course at Balmedie.

Education and early life

Ford trained as a botanist,[1] completing a doctorate University of Wales (at University College Swansea) in 1986; 'Pollinator-mediated interactions between out-breeding annual weeds'.[2] In 1988 he moved to Aberdeenshire to work at the North of Scotland College of Agriculture.[1]

Political career

He stood as a candidate in the 1992 United Kingdom general election for the Aberdeen North to raise environmental issues.[1]

In the 1999 Scottish local elections, he was first elected to Aberdeenshire Council as a Lib Dem councillor. He was elected again in 2003 and 2007.

In 2006, Donald Trump bought the Menie estate in Balmedie, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and Ford found himself chair of the committee that would determine the planning application to create a highly contentious golf resort against the wishes of local residents on an area designated as a site of special scientific interest.[3][4] In November 2006, Ford had the casting vote, which led to the committee rejecting plans for the Menie resort, however, the Scottish Government stepped in and the development proceeded.[5] Ford spoke to BBC's Panorama television programme about the development, following this he received several letters from the council's chief executive.[6]

In December 2007, he was unseated from the position of committee chair of Aberdeenshire Council's infrastructure services.[7]

In May 2008, he was reported to be considering standing as a candidate for the UK Parliament Aberdeen South seat.[8] He stood for Rector of the University of Aberdeen in 2008, but was beaten by Stephen Robertson.[9]

He resigned from the Lib-dems in January 2009, after having been a member of the party for twenty years.[10] Six months later he joined the Greens, who two years previously had made a public invitation for him to join them.[1]

In 2011, Ford's account of the Trump affair Deciding the Fate of a Magical Wild Place was published in the Journal of Irish and Scottish Studies [11]

In May 2015, it was announced that Ford, as part of the Democratic Independent and Green Group (DIGG), had agreed to lend support the Scottish National Party (SNP) council group on a confidence and supply basis.[12]

References
  1. Evans, Neil (11 October 2014). "Stand firm". Holyrood. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  2. Ford, Martin (1986). Pollinator-mediated interactions between outbreeding annual weeds. ethos.bl.uk (Ph.D). E-Theses Online Service. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  3. Churchill, Carolyn (16 February 2010). "First look at Trump plan for 'world's best course'". The Herald. Glasgow. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  4. Tuffrey, Laurie (10 July 2012). "Trump opens controversial Scottish golf course". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 August 2015.
  5. "Donald Trump golf critic Martin Ford stands for Greens". BBC News. 9 September 2010.
  6. "Aberdeenshire councillor Martin Ford cleared of Donald Trump code breach". BBC News. 25 February 2014.
  7. "Trump rejection councillor sacked". BBC News. 12 December 2007.
  8. "Trump councillor eyes MP's seat". BBC News. 7 May 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  9. "Aberdeen University rector named". BBC News. 9 May 2008. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  10. "Trump politician to join Greens". BBC News. 31 May 2009.
  11. Ford, Cllr Martin A. (2011). "Deciding the Fate of a Magical Wild Place" (PDF). Journal of Irish and Scottish Studies (The Spaces of the Nation: Strategic Spatial Planning in Scotland and the Island of Ireland ed.). Aberdeen. 4 (2): 33–74. doi:10.57132/jiss.101. ISSN 1753-2396. S2CID 253148760. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  12. Foote, Chris (26 May 2015). "SNP set to lead Aberdeenshire Council after deal with party alliance". STV News. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
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