Labour ousted but Nats fail to take full control
THE SNP became the largest party at Glasgow City Council, ousting Labour in a day of drama described by Nicola Sturgeon as “historic”.
The SNP won the most council seats, but failed to win an outright majority casting some disappointment over the party’s win.
After winning every MP and constituency MSP in the city in the last two years as the post-referendum politics in the city swung in the Nationalist favour, the SNP was expected to win a majority.
However, when the votes were counted the SNP emerged with 39 councillors, Labour in second on 31, with the Tories taking third place with eight, and the Greens seven.
The day started well with the SNP taking two seats in a Labour stronghold of Shettleston, when Labour only won one, with Frank McAveety holding his seat.
However, as the results came in ward by ward across the city, and while they were consistently ahead of Labour, the SNP failed to get several candidates elected it became clear winning a majority was a step too far.
The First Minister arrived at the count at the Emirates Arena with SNP group leader Susan Aitken who will now almost certainly become Council leader.
She was greeted by the dozens of MPs, MSPs, returning and newly elected councillors.
Ms Sturgeon said: “This is a historic win. Glasgow has been run for 48 years by Labour.”
She said she was “delighted“with the result in Glasgow, adding: “Becoming the largest party is an achievement.”
She added: “This is the end of an era for Glasgow, but the start of an exciting new era.”
Ms Aitken said she was “very happy” with the outcome after her party spent the last five years building towards this election.
She said: “It is clear we have won the election. We will be the first SNP administration of Glasgow City Council.”
Ms Aitken now has to decide how to proceed as leader and whether or not to look to form a coalition with the Greens to give her the required majority of 43 councillors or to run as a minority administration.
She said her door was open to other parties on the council.
Ms Aitken said she was willing to work with the other parties on a case by case, issue by issue basis.
However, she ruled out any formal deal or agreement with the Tories.
On Labour, she said: “Our door will be open but they have lost the election because people didn’t want what Labour was delivering anymore.”
She issued a warning to Labour that she expects change if there is to be any co-operation.
She added: “I would need to see evidence they are capable of changing their ways and conducting themselves differently.” She said a majority would have “been nice, it would have been lovely” adding: “That’s what a proportional representation system is designed for, co-operation and partnership and finding common ground.”
With 31 SNP and seven Greens there is now an independence-supporting majority on Glasgow City Council.
The SNP stood 56 candidates across the city’s 23 wards looking to wrest power completely from Labour.
After Mark Coburn failed to be elected in East Centre the party could not reach the magic number of 43 for a majority.
In the end there were 17 SNP candidates who were not elected
It failed to win enough in the four member wards where it stood three candidates, with Labour holding on to two seats in many cases.
And in the three member wards it was stopped from winning two in both cases due to a larger Green and Conservative vote.
Senior SNP politicians in the city were at the count to witness the historic moment the party finally after years of trying took control of the largest council in Scotland.
It has long been the party’s big prize.
In 2012 the SNP had high hopes of what would then have been an upset if it defeated Labour but it fell well short and Labour kept its majority.
This time a majority win was in its sights with its own polling giving it the confidence to field enough candidates to provide a substantial majority.
Humza Yousaf, Glasgow Pollok SNP MSP and Scottish Government Transport Minister, said of course they wanted a majority but he was still pleased with the outcome.
He said: “I’m still pretty chuffed. It is a hell of a result to win this city. This is an SNP city.”
Others were more open in their delight at Labour losing control.
Stewart McDonald, Glasgow South SNP MP, said Labour’s days of being in charge were finally over.
He said: “A change has occurred in Glasgow. The dead hand of Labour has been removed from power.”
On the rise of the Tory vote he was sure it was down to opposition to independence.
He said: “Unionism has become increasingly right wing and Conservative.”