SCOTTISH Tories have reacted with fury as the SNP, in coalition with the LibDems, look set to take control of Aberdeen City Council.

Before the local elections, Aberdeen had been run by a “Better Together” coalition of Tory and “Labour” councillors. Those Labour representatives were suspended from the party for agreeing the deal, which kept the SNP locked out of power despite being the largest group.

After the May 5 vote, the SNP returned 20 councillors, more than the Labour (11) and Tory (eight) groups combined.

READ MORE: 'Grubby' Labour-Tory deal set to lock SNP out of power on Scottish council

The LibDems, who had been in opposition along with the SNP for the past five years, saw no change in their four seats. There were also two independents elected, with 23 votes needed to hold a majority on the 45-seat council.

As such, the LibDems were the kingmakers in the granite city. They had enough votes to hand power either to the SNP, or to a rainbow coalition of Tory, Labour, and LibDem councillors.

Observers expected the swing to go the SNP’s way, and The National understands a deal is close.

The news has sparked fury among the Conservatives. The party’s local group leader, Ryan Houghton, blamed Labour for talks failing.

He wrote on Twitter: “Looks like the SNP and LibDem deal is done to form an administration in @AberdeenCC tomorrow.

“Attempts to form an admin with us, Labour and LibDems unsuccessful due to Labour's national ban on formal partnerships. This gave the LibDems the out needed to do a deal with the SNP.”

However, Labour have been striking deals with the Tories in other council areas, including Stirling and North Lanarkshire.

Conservative MSP Murdo Fraser demanded to know what was “going on”, tweeting at Scottish LibDem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, while MP Andrew Bowie wrote: “Well, we always said you couldn't trust the LibDems not to go into coalition with the SNP, and in Aberdeen, we have been proved right.

“It is now obvious, the only party that truly stands up against the SNP, for the North East and for our union is the @Conservatives.”

Miles Briggs MSP added: "What happened to the pledge the LibDems made to voters in Aberdeen to stop the SNP? Now they are jumping into bed with them in the Granite City."

Briggs shared an image that seemed to be an excerpt from a LibDem election leaflet, but he did not say where it had been distributed.

Sharon Dowey MSP called the news “concerning”, adding: “For all their talk about putting the Union first it seems that when it comes down to it, the LibDems are more than happy to prop up the SNP for five years of failure.”

Scottish Tory chief whip Stephen Kerr wrote: “The LibDems urged people to vote for them with the message ‘It's us or the SNP here’. I suppose what they meant was ‘It's us and the SNP’.

“Never, ever trust the Lib Dems.”

Kerr’s message presumably does not extend over the border to Aberdeenshire council, where the Tory-LibDem coalition that held power before May’s local elections looks likely to again form an administration, though talks are ongoing.