Labour leader slams Indy as ‘ La La Land’
McGinley hits out at coalition bedfellows
Independence is a “La La Land fairytale” which is “divisive” for Scotland, claims a councillor working hand- in- hand with the SNP in South Ayrshire.
Labour’s Brian McGinley slammed Nationalist policies and said the party was “hell bent of neutering local government”.
Mr McGinley is the council’s depute leader as part of a working arrangement with the SNP and two Independents.
But in a series of Twitter posts, he has hit out at the Nats – and claimed Nicola Sturgeon was driving a “populist movement” similar to Donald Trump in America.
Cllr McGinley, who agreed a power sharing deal with the SNP following the last election, also responded to a Tweet picturing Trump with former First Minister, Alex Salmond, and said: “SNP hypocrisy... again.”
And discussing the violence in Washington last week, he said: “This is not down to the actions of one person.
“It ’ s too simplistic and politically convenient an analysis.
“This anarchy is due to a wider populist movement which is here in Scotland, via Ms Sturgeon, SNP.
“It shows itself when empty promises don’t deliver and citizens wake up.”
Despite the flurry of Tweets, the council’s SNP leader, Peter Henderson, insisted he had a “good working relationship” with Cllr McGinley.
He said: “We have an agreed agenda and concentrate on local issues.
“I as a member of the SNP and Brian as a Labour party member have different political aspirations but this doesn’t affect our working relationship.
“The fact that an election for the Scottish Government is coming means that we will have opposing political agendas and viewpoints which can be expressed in relation to this.
“I would emphasise there is no problem in the working agreement in the council administration. There is no criticism of the local SNP councillors.”
Councillor McGinley added: “We, both Labour and SNP, are putting the needs of the council and local people first and beyond political differences.”