SNP become a minority administration with only 25 councillors
Opposition parties comprise 39 councillors
Labour has accused the new SNP minority administration on South Lanarkshire Council of getting Tory backing after they took office last week.
As expected, SNP Hamilton South councillor John Ross was voted in as the local authority’s new leader with the 25 votes of the SNP group at a full council meeting last Thursday.
Labour later alleged the SNP had reached a deal to secure the co-operation of the Tories – but the Nationalists hit back by saying they would never do a deal with the Conservatives.
Responding to Tory criticism that Labour had been obstructive by not entering into discussions with the Conservatives to form an administration, Labour’s business manager Davie Mclachlan said: “Despite all the smokescreens, it became clear that the panicked SNP minority administration had secured the co-operation of the Tories.”
He added that “in an unprecedented move” councillor Ross’s list of nominees for positions “included a Tory (Richard Elliot Lockhart) to chair one of the committees (Clydesdale), alongside an SNP deputy (Mark Horsham) when it could have been the other way around.
“The SNP will struggle to get its programme passed without Tory votes, so they were desperate to keep them sweet.”
But the SNP rejected Mr Mclachlan’s view, with a spokesperson saying: “After years of Tory/labour coalitions at South Lanarkshire Council, it beggars belief that they are now accusing the SNP of doing exactly what they have done for years.
“Unlike Labour, the SNP will never do a deal with the Tories to secure power and it is ludicrous to suggest otherwise.
“The SNP will seek to find common ground with every member elected to South Lanarkshire Council – including members of the Labour Party – and deliver for the people we are elected to represent.”
Following his appointment as council leader Mr Ross said in a statement: “It is my intention to govern for everyone in South Lanarkshire, no matter if they voted for the SNP or not.
“I will seek to find compromise with other elected members across our county and govern with openness and transparency.
“The SNP will never do a deal with the Tories. We disagree with them fundamentally and will continue to challenge their damaging cuts to the most vulnerable in society.”
South Lanarkshire Conservative and Unionist leader and Clydesdale East councillor Alex Allison said following last Thursday’s meeting: “It’s disappointing that the entire Labour group decided to sit on their hands rather than oppose the SNP. We made clear since the election that we were open to a coalition with Labour, but unfortunately they decided they did not want to even enter into discussions about this or any other matter.
“Their obstructionist approach is letting down not only their voters but also the people of South Lanarkshire as a whole. The fact is no party won a majority of seats in this county, so all parties have a responsibility to behave in a responsible way to ensure the council can function effectively.
“Obviously a coalition or other arrangement with the SNP was never under consideration, so we will provide an effective opposition that holds their administration to account.
“Where we disagree with their proposals we will be robust in standing up for what we think is right, but a responsible opposition is also willing to work with others where appropriate.”
But Mr Mclachlan said he was not going to apologise to the Tories for refusing to enter into talks with them.
He commented: “Labour has been crystal clear that we would only consider power-sharing arrangements with partners who would oppose further austerity measures against the people of South Lanarkshire. Not a single Tory or SNP councillor in South Lanarkshire was prepared to own up to the damage that’s been done to local services by their leaders in government.
“While the party of the rape clause is furious with Labour, they have become SNP playmates at a bargain price.
“The Labour group will not be playing these self-serving games. We will hold the new administration to account on behalf of every community in South Lanarkshire.”
Councillor Allison had pointed out during the full council meeting there were more councillors on the opposition side of the council than in the administration itself and the local authority’s special responsibility functions did not reflect the nature of that. Council leader John Ross told Mr Allison there was a special responsibility allowance available and he was not against it going to another opposition party as well as Labour.
Last Thursday, a Tory amendment to appoint their leader Alex Allison as council leader had been backed by their 14 councillors. The remaining Labour (19), Independent (5) and Liberal Democrat (1) councillors all abstained in the vote to elect councillor Ross as leader along with votes for depute leader, provost and depute provost.
In these posts are Blantyre SNP councillor Maureen Chalmers (depute leader), Clydesdale East councillor Ian Mcallan (provost) and East Kilbride Central South councillor Collette Stevenson (depute provost).
It was also agreed that South Lanarkshire Council rejoin COSLA, which it left in March 2015.
The five independent councillors comprise former Labour councillors Jackie Burns, Joe Lowe, and Margaret Cooper and former SNP councillors Jim and Sheena Wardhaugh.