John Alexander jubilant after party’s resounding wins in City of Discovery

THE leader of Dundee City C o u n c i l s a i d h e wa s “absolutely delighted” at h i s p a r t y ’s thumping victories in the city.

John Alexander, who was at last night’s count in the Dundee International Sports Centre (Disc), said he believed the results in the City of Discovery and in Scotland as a whole proved t he case for a second i ndependence referendum.

After t he result was announced Mr Alexander, who was recently named leader of the year at the national councillor awards, said: “We have put in a lot of work into the area and our endeavours have paid off.

“Now i t ’s time to forge ahead with t he fight to secure a second i ndependence referendum.

“That’s now something that has to be t aken seriously i n the best interests of everyone in Scotland.

“Also the message that has been put out nationally, as well as locally, shows the level of confidence the public has in the message of the SNP.”

He added: “The results overall also shows there is a real and stark contrast now between the rest of the UK compared to Scotland.

“Some serious questions need to be asked about Scotland’s future.

“My preference is obviously for independence and this result gives us more momentum behind the call for a second referendum, that is absolutely necessary now.

“The Tories have a majority, which is frightening yet again, given that we have already had a decade of them at the helm.

“This has been shown to be the worst thing possible for us as a city and for the country as a whole.

“There is a definite, and direct correlation, with that and austerity, and policies such as t he bedroom tax.

“The previous decade of Tory rule makes me very concerned about the prospects for the next decade.”