SNP MPs and MSPs in Edinburgh have slammed plans for Labour to seize control of the city council on the back of Tory votes.
Parliamentarians denounced proposals which would shut out the Nationalists from running the city for the first time in over a decade.
No party won a majority in Edinburgh after May’s election, but the SNP came first with 19 councillors, Labour were second on 13, the Lib Dems third with 12 and the Greens increasing their tally to 10.
The Tories, which had been the largest party in the city chambers, slumped to fifth place.
The city has been run by the SNP and Labour for ten years, but Anas Sarwar’s ban on coalitions with Nicola Sturgeon’s party torpedoed another deal.
One option for running the council is an SNP/Green coalition, but no majority exists for this two party pact.
An alternative is for Labour to run Edinburgh as a minority administration, but this can only happen if they are installed by the Lib Dems and Tories.
In a letter, MSPs Angus Robertson, Ash Regan, Ben Macpherson and Gordon MacDonald, as well as MPs Joanna Cherry, Tommy Sheppard and Deidre Brock, called on Labour group leader Cammy Day to clarify his plans.
They wrote: “While it remains the prerogative of political groups to seek agreement with others to run the council, as you are aware, it is only possible for Labour to form an administration, as outlined in the press, if it were supported by the Conservative Councillors. Put plainly, this is unthinkable. The City of Edinburgh resoundingly rejected the Conservatives in May’s elections.”
They added: “The people rejected the Tories because it is led in the UK by a Prime Minister who partied in No. 10 while he told the people of Edinburgh and across the UK that they could not see dying friends and relatives.”
In a tweet last night, Edinburgh Lib Dem councillor Kevin Lang wrote that his party would be backing Labour:
“On Thursday, there will be two propositions before Edinburgh Council to form an administration; a SNP/Green coalition and a Labour minority.
“The LibDem opposition group has agreed to back the option offering the best chance for change. We’ll be voting for the Labour minority.”
Lib Dem support for the plan leave the Tories as kingmaker with the power to either install Labour in power, or enable an SNP/Green coalition by abstaining.
Senior Edinburgh Labour councillor Scott Arthur also tweeted support for the minority rule plan: “This won't just be a change in leadership, it will also be a change in culture. We will focus on what we have in common with other parties, and will work with any Councillor that puts Edinburgh first”
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