Councillor will manage top gay event

JOHN Stewart, the former leader of Aberdeen City Council, is to take up a new appointment as the head of Britain’s biggest gay festival.

Councillor Stewart, the openly gay leader of the city council’s Liberal Democrat Group, announced two months ago that he is to retire from local government politics at the council elections in May and that he would be joined in leaving local politics by his civil partner, Councillor Neil Fletcher, who is also the depute convener of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.

Mr Srewart has now been appointed chief executive of the Manchester Pride festival, the UK’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender event which has been running for 21 years

He is currently deputy leader of the joint administration at the city council.