SNP and Labour may form coalition

SNP emerges as largest party and immediately rules out reaching any agreement with Tories

Fife’s political future is in limbo today after no party managed to form a majority following the local council elections.

The SNP and Labour have ruled out forming a coalition with the Conservatives, which made surprising and significant gains throughout the region.

The SNP ended the day as the largest party with 29 seats and will seek to form an administration, although its leader Neale Hanvey failed in his bid for re-election in Dunfermline Central.

Labour lost five seats, down to 24, and with it control of Fife House.

However, SNP interim leader Karen Marjoram could provide the outgoing administration with a lifeline in part, suggesting that an agreement between the two largest groups could yet be workable.

Asked if a coalition with the Conservatives was a possibility, she said: “It will be over my dead body.

And when asked if an informal arrangement could exist between the two parties, she added: “That would

We want what’s best for the people of Fife. KAREN MARJORAM

be a very, very, very, very last choice. I think the SNP and Tories are diametrically opposed to each other.”

Regarding a tie-up with Labour, she added: “It seems to work well in Edinburgh.

“We want what’s best for the people of Fife.”

Meanwhile, David Ross, the Labour group leader, said: “I was expecting the SNP to have more than us because last time we did very, very well and it was unlikely we were going to do quite as well.

“The national picture has blurred things and with boundary changes we have lost three or four seats through that.

“I’m actually quite pleased that we’ve held our own.

“I can’t see any circumstances where we would go into formal coalition with the Tories.” “We’ll see what transpires.” Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats’ strongholds in north-east Fife came through for the party, which returned seven councillors, while the region’s contingent of independent councillors was wiped out.

Pictures: Steven Brown. Top: congratulations for the Conservatives’ David Ross and Labour’s Judy Hamilton, elected for Dunfermline South and Kirkcaldy Central, respectively; middle: announcing the Kirkcaldy North result; above: an anxious-looking Julie Ford, who was elected...