Labour spirals into ‘meltdown’ as second Tory alliance banned
‘Not in control of her own party’
SCOTTISH Labour is in ‘meltdown’ over council coalitions after party chiefs were forced to bar a second group from striking a deal with the Tories.
Nine Labour councillors were suspended from the party on Wednesday night after they formed an alliance with the Conservatives in Aberdeen to lock the SNP out of power.
Scottish Labour leader Kezia Dugdale had threatened disciplinary action if the councillors refused to back down – and was later forced to suspend them amid a humiliating blow to her authority.
Yesterday, party bosses barred a West Lothian council group from doing a deal with the Tories as a civil war continued to build with council representatives.
The suspensions in Aberdeen mean Labour no longer has any representation in the city – while councillors in West Lothian have put off making a decision on forming an administration, despite the party ruling one out.
Critics said Labour under Miss Dugdale was in ‘disarray and meltdown’.
Yesterday, when asked if councillors had undermined her, Miss Dugdale said: ‘No because I have been very clear that they don’t act as Labour councillors when they are passing on Tory cuts in Aberdeen.
‘The pact that they put forward did not pass the deal that the SEC [the party’s Scottish Executive Committee] set. That’s why they have been suspended.’
Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley is chairman of the SEC, which makes the final decision on council deals.
It has so far rejected three potential deals – in Aberdeen, West Lothian and one with the SNP in Edinburgh.
However, officials have approved three deals which will see Labour work with the SNP in Fife, South Ayrshire and East Renfrewshire.
Nicola Sturgeon used First Minister’s Questions to claim that Labour under Miss Dugdale ‘is in disarray, it is in civil war, it is in meltdown’.
She said: ‘As leader of the Scottish Labour Party, she is not in control of her own party because she can’t stop her councillors going into coalition with Tories up and down the country.’
Ross Thomson, the Tory candidate for Aberdeen South in the General Election, said: ‘Labour has been plunged into civil war after Kezia Dugdale’s reckless decision to suspend all nine councillors in Aberdeen.
‘The local group were doing the right thing for the city to provide stability after what has been a difficult time for the local economy.’
Last night Barney Crockett, a suspended Aberdeen councillor who was appointed Lord Provost as part of the agreement, said the action was ‘a procedure’ they would work through.
He added: ‘I’m confident that we will be back in Labour very soon. We’re still Labour councillors through and through and I’m sure everything is going to be rectified and will be in good order.’
However, an investigation is under way into the councillors’ conduct, which could lead to their expulsion from the party. Miss Dugdale said that Labour had been forced into the powersharing talks by the SNP and Tories as the two parties are refusing to work together.
‘The reason that we’re in this position and that Labour is at the centre of all these powersharing talks is because both the SNP and the Tories ruled out dealing with each other two weeks ago in a complete petty political manoeuvre,’ she said.
‘The reality is that it’s only the Labour Party that’s taking the responsible approach rooted in our values and principles, which are to oppose any deals which involve passing on austerity to communities and that would lead to job losses.’
Meanwhile, the SNP has formally taken charge of Scotland’s largest council for the first time.
Susan Aitken was elected unopposed as the new leader of Glasgow City Council when members met for the first time since the May 4 local government elections.
Labour has been in charge of Glasgow since 1980.
She will lead 39 SNP councillors in a minority administration which will have support from the Scottish Greens, who have seven representatives.
David McDonald was made depute leader of the authority, with Eva Bolander chosen as the city’s Lord Provost.