The SNP is poised to take control of North Lanarkshire Council for the first time in its history, Lanarkshire Live understands.
Labour councillors voted at their group meeting yesterday to be in opposition, effectively ensuring that the SNP – the authority’s largest party – will lead the administration.
One party source said there had been an acceptance the SNP had won more seats in this month’s election, finishing four ahead on 36 to second-placed Labour’s 32.
North Lanarkshire Labour had announced in a statement last week that the second-placed group of 32 councillors intended to form a minority administration – which would have required support from Conservative and British Unionist members – but the council group decided otherwise yesterday.
An SNP insider said a change of administration would be a “totemic” moment and said a priority would be empowering communities.
It would see SNP group leader Jordan Linden take the helm of the local authority.
The administration will be formed tomorrow when North Lanarkshire’s 77 new councillors meet for the first time since the election at the Civic Centre in Motherwell and elect a provost and council leader.
North Lanarkshire was a Labour stronghold for many years and the party has run the council since it was formed in 1996, including retaining minority control in 2017 when the party had also finished second, one seat behind the SNP.
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