AN INDEPENDENCE row has broken out over a letter set to go out to thousands of Aberdeen homes.

Council tax bills due to be distributed to city properties next week will contain a letter from council leader Barney Crockett, the first paragraph of which states that Aberdeen will be “stronger in the future … as a partner within the United Kingdom”.

SNP MSP for Donside Mark McDonald has hit out at the move and is calling for an “urgent” investigation.

The MSP said: “The simple truth is that this would be a grotesque misuse of council resources by the council leader, attempting to influence the voting behaviour of the citizens of Aberdeen and using local authority money to pay for it.

“Barney Crockett and his administration have reduced the city to a laughing stock with their undemocratic behaviour, if they are planning to send this letter out it would be further evidence that they have completely and utterly lost the plot.”

Neither Cllr Crockett nor finance convenor Cllr Willie Young were available for comment.