RED Clydeside turned yellow and black yesterday as the SNP took charge at the country’s largest local authority.
Glasgow earned its nickname for its strong socialist politics and support for Labour.
Yesterday that party’s reign ended as the SNP became the minority administration at Glasgow City Council.
Councillor Susan Aitken was elected unopposed as leader of the local authority, which had been in Labour hands since 1980.
And, in an unprecedented move, Swedish-born councillor Eva Bolander was voted in as the city’s Lord Provost.
Bolander, who considers herself a “Swedish new Scot”, raised her family in Scotland and previously told The National of her fears in the wake of the EU referendum result.
Yesterday she became the first ever EU national to don the ceremonial chains of office as she was sworn in at the City Chambers, stepping into the role vacated by Labour’s Sadie Docherty when she stepped down prior to this month’s vote.
Aitken’s team will seek the backing of other parties on a vote-by-vote basis, with the executive committee including members of other parties on a proportional basis.
This will see 11 SNP members take roles, as well as eight Labour councillors, two Greens and two Tories.
Green councillor Martha Wardrop said: “For too long there has been a disconnect between the voters and those who held power in Glasgow City Council. Now, with an agreement won by the Greens, Glasgow City Chambers is set for the biggest radical democratic overhaul in a generation.
“It became clear during the council election that voters have become tired of one party dominating in Glasgow for so long.
“So, with that in mind, we’ve worked hard to reach a solution that ensures better, more representative decisions, prevents the SNP from repeating mistakes of previous administrations and acting as if they have a majority.”
Meanwhile, the SNP has also formed a minority administration in Renfrewshire after Labour, which had held control, decided forming an alliance “was not for them”.
New council leader Iain Nicolson said he remains committed to working constructively with political rivals.
In a statement, he said: “We recognise that the people of Renfrewshire have decided that no party should have overall control of the council this time round and as such we tried to engage with all of the political groupings and independents to come up with a consensus on representation within the council. Unfortunately, Labour wanted no part of this but my door is always open if they want to play their part in building a better Renfrewshire.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel