Council control is still in the balance
One week on, administration still not yet formed
Control of Stirling Council is still hanging in the balance a week on from the local authority elections.
The SNP have the most councillors for any individual party with eight - but with 23 members in total within the council it is far from an outright majority.
Following the 2017 election, when they secured nine seats, the SNP formed a joint administration with the four Labour councillors.
However, this time round Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has ruled out any Labour coalitions with the SNP, meaning the Nationalists can no longer rely on the Stirling Council Labour contingent - whose numbers have been boosted to six.
Previous council administrations, however, have seen Labour and the Tories join forces against the SNP.
Whether Labour - who could again be the “kingmakers” - will see fit to do the same with the seven Tory councillors in the new council, however, remains to be seen.
As the Observer went to press yesterday (Thursday) things appeared to be at a stalemate.
Sole Green councillor Alasdair Tollemache, who secured a return to the council in the Dunblane and Bridge of Allan ward, has generally voted with the SNP on most issues but has stopped short of officially joining forces.
Bannockburn ward’s Alasdair Macpherson, meanwhile, returns - but this time as an Independent. He resigned from the SNP citing disillusionment with the party and concerns over unpopular changes by the Snp/labour administration to the waste collection service - and later strenuously denying claims by the party that he had been colluding with the Tories.
But this time the outspoken self--professed socialist’s presence on the council will be free from party allegiances and he may wish to vote on an issue-by-issue basis.
Earlier this week Labour group leader Councillor Chris Kane said: “The people of Stirling have returned the three main parties with broadly similar numbers of councillors and it is incumbent therefore upon all of us to find a way to serve Stirling. The Scottish Labour Party has been clear that there will be no formal coalitions with any other parties.”
And SNP leader Councillor Scott Farmer said: “The SNP remains open to constructive talks with any progressive party in forwarding a positive vision for the people of Stirling. At this time it would be inappropriate to comment further.”
Conservative group leader Councillor Neil Benny said: “The people of Stirling have spoken and support has been spread across the three main parties.
“There is a an opportunity here to deliver real collegiate working, something that the residents and taxpayers of Stirling rightly expect from their councillors.
“I have always advocated co-operation across the council chamber so our door is open, as it always has been, to anyone that is prepared to put Stirling first and have a discussion about how we can work together.”
Here are the 23 members of your new Stirling Council. SNP - Eight councillors:
Scott Farmer, Graham Houston, Susan Mcgill, Gerry Mclaughlan, Gene Maxwell, Rosemary Fraser, Jim Thomson, Brian Hambly.
CONSERVATIVE - Seven councillors:
Neil Benny, Martin Earl, Douglas Dodds, Bryan Flannagan, Elaine Watterson, Paul Henke, Rachel Nunn. LABOUR - Six councillors: Chris Kane, Margaret Brisley, Danny Gibson, Jen Preston, Ewan Dillon, Gerry Mcgarvey. GREEN - One councillor: Alasdairtollemache. INDEPENDENT - One councillor.
Alasdair Macpherson.
...our door is open, as it always has been, to anyone that is prepared to put Stirling first