Political parties argue over credit for U-turn

Following the meeting, both Labour and the SNP were quick to take credit for the turnaround.

Labour said they had“set the wheels in motion”to create a new charitable trust to take over the operation of local sport and leisure services, adding they had judged neither bid as delivering best value for public funding.

Council leader Johanna Boyd said they had chosen to introduce the amendment rather than voting to back council officer recommendations, adding:“We took the view that neither organisation submitting a bid sufficiently addressed the issues around best value and we voted to stick to our principles of keeping council services out of the hands of private, profit seeking companies.”

Labour councillor Danny Gibson may have resisted having a dig at the SNP during the meeting, however afterwards he said:“The SNP Group have been using their time this week to score cheap political points against other parties.

“The Labour Group has been working hard to find a solution to a problem.

“Voters recognise and value leadership, which is what Stirling Labour have been yet again providing. Irrespective of some of the nonsense being spouted by the SNP this week, it was nonetheless positive that all political parties supported Labour’s proposal.”

SNP group leader Councillor Scott Farmer, was similarly more outspoken than at the meeting.

He said:“I am delighted that common sense has prevailed tonight and that the SNP have managed to negotiate a halt to the privatisation of sports services.

“However, we should never have been marched to the cliff edge in this way and serious questions must be answered by the Tory/Labour Administration who led this process.

“I am grateful to the many members of the public who voiced their outrage at these proposals, it is because of them that Tory/Labour coalition councillors were made to listen and back down on these plans.”