Opponents criticise budget alliance

Councillors clashed at the key financial meeting as SNP members criticised the “LabourTory team budget”.

Group leader David Stocks said: “Labour openly admit that there’s been a ‘significant’ Tory input into their plans.

“We’ll always act in the best interests of our constituents and our budget was free of any collaboration with the Tories.”

SNP business manager Allan Stubbs added: “My party won’t support any budget with Tory fingerprints on it”; while party colleague Steven Bonnar added: “We would make no deal in the back room.”

Conservative leader Meghan Gallacher said: “Sometimes it’s necessary to work with an adversary for change, and we took this view – education, infrastructure and other policies are thanks to my group’s influence.”

Business manager Sandy Watson added: “We’ve had an impact on areas important to our voters – and as soon as the budget is passed, we’ll be back to opposing Labour at every opportunity.”

Council leader Jim Logue called the opposition “politically naive” and said: “There’s a lot that links the two budgets and a small number of differences.

“We’re more in agreement than not and I hope the SNP reflect that they should have been at the table to make a constructive contribution and avoid a similar story next year.”