Scottish Labour are attempting to form a minority administration in Fife amid claims of backroom talks by pro-UK parties.
Despite coming a distant second in May, Labour could run the local authority if the Lib Dems and Tories agree to lock out the SNP.
May’s election saw the SNP become the largest party with 34 councillors - four short of a majority.
Labour have 20 councillors, the Lib Dems returned 13 and the Tories came fourth after securing eight.
However, the SNP’s failure to win a majority has left open the possibility of the pro-Union parties coalescing around Labour.
The SNP and Labour have run Fife in recent years, but Anas Sarwar’s formal coalition ban with the Nationalists has closed down this option.
Speaking to Fife Today, Labour group leader David Ross said: “No single party achieved a majority at the election.
“We believe that a Labour minority administration that will listen and take account of the views of others, is the best way forward for Fife.
“We believe a Labour administration offers the most positive vision for Fife and the best prospect of standing up to the centralisation and cuts to council funding from the SNP Scottish Government.
“Whether we like it or not, the proportional representation system we work under means that if no party gains a majority of seats, then they have to seek support from others to form an administration.
“If we gain the support of a majority of councillors then we will form the administration. If not then we will go into opposition.”
Cllr Ross told the paper there was “no basis for an arrangement with the SNP … so, we will simply be giving the Council a choice between a Labour or an SNP minority administration”.
One SNP source described the plan as a “Unionist coalition” in all but name, adding: "As we are seeing all over Scotland, the Better Together alliance is pulling out all the stops to lock us out of administration which the people of Fife elected us to lead.
"Not only that, but Labour plan to eliminate the working of the council and replace it with the seven king makers who will make all decisions, sidelining the democratically elected councillors."
It comes as Labour formed the administration in South Lanarkshire on the back of support from Lib Dem and Independent councillors.
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