Labour and SNP promise stability in historic Edinburgh alliance

LABOUR and SNP councillors agreed to form a historic coalition in Edinburgh last night – saying the deal would bring “stability” to the capital.

The two parties announced they had signed an agreement to work together to run the City of Edinburgh Council, following talks yesterday.

The deal came despite Labour being on the verge going into a three-party alliance with Tory and Green councillors barely 24 hours earlier.

It is understood the Greens, who doubled their number of councillors last Thursday to claim six seats, were reluctant to be part of any formal partnership with the two larger parties.

Their withdrawal ultimately torpedoed a deal between the Labour and Tories, amid concern such a move would spark anger among supporters of both parties. Labour became the largest party in the capital last week with 20 councillors. The SNP finished just behind with 18, and yesterday’s deal means the ruling coalition will have a clear majority on the council – with 38 of 58 councillors.

Labour will nominate the positions of council leader and lord provost, with the SNP putting forward deputies.

Andrew Burns, Labour group leader, said the agreement would give the coalition a “very clear mandate”.

“After listening to the will of the electorate and after intense negotiations over the last few days, I am delighted that we have managed to reach an agreement to lead the city of Edinburgh for the next five years,” he said.

“A Labour-SNP coalition will now provide the stability and certainty needed to move Edinburgh forward.”

Mr Burns said a final agreement had been reached to enter a coalition with the SNP shortly after an all-party meeting at the City Chambers at 6:30pm, which lasted just a few minutes.

Explaining the shock deal, he said: “We always said that all options were open and that nothing was off the table. There were definitely other possible options for a coalition if other parties had been willing.

“We have spent three days virtually from dusk to dawn discussing the various options, but now that a formal agreement has been signed I am absolutely determined to take the city forward.

“There is going to be change in Edinburgh. I am the new council leader, we will have a Labour Lord Provost. With the SNP having 18 councillors, we have a clear mandate to take the city forward.”

Mr Burns added that he did not envisage the referendum debate causing problems to the same extent that the tram project did with the previous admnistration.

The Greens were offered the chance to be part of a three-party “rainbow alliance”, but issued a statement shortly before last night’s talks got under way saying they were willing to “help transform the culture of government in the city”, but were not willing to help form a coalition.

The agreement will see the SNP group leader Steve Cardownie, who defected from Labour in 2005, reunited with many of his old party colleagues.

He insisted, however, that the coalition would offer a “strong partnership”, stating that both groups’ economic policies were “almost one and the same”.

“I believe we had a mandate with 18 councillors returned and also a duty to the party to see our policies taken forward,” he said. “You have got to remember that the SNP did not have a single councillor in Edinburgh in 2005. To be in power for ten years until 2017 will be some achievement.”

Mr Cardownie also said he did not envisage the tram project becoming an issue again, because the city was unlikely to be developing plans to extend the line any further than the city centre before the next election.

Mr Cardownie said his party had “no hestitations whatsoever” about trying to remain in power. He added: “If politics is not about power, what is it about?”

Under the deal, the Nationalists will be handed the key posts of deputy council leader and deputy provost.

The announcement came at the end of a day of talks around the country.

In Aberdeen, the ruling coalition is expected to be announced today. The Labour group held talks yesterday morning with members of the 15-strong SNP group, the five-strong Liberal Democrat group and the three Conservatives.

In Aberdeenshire, the 28-strong SNP group is expected to resume talks with a number of political groups about a power-sharing coalition.

It was also announced yesterday that the SNP has seized control in Midlothian, ending decades of Labour control, after an agreement was reached with independent Peter de Vink and Green Ian Baxter.

The SNP has also taken control in North Ayrshire from Labour, after the Nationalists formed a coalition with the six independents.

The Nationalists will also lead the administration in Perth. In the Borders, the Tories are holding talks withothers, but look set to lead the administration.