Labour should rule out a coalition with the Tories in Edinburgh after next month’s local elections or be exposed as putting their anti-independence obsession ahead of public services, the SNP said yesterday.
The SNP has ruled out any council coalitions with the Tories after the local election following a decision by the party’s National Executive Committee on Saturday.
In Edinburgh, the SNP group are calling for the local Labour candidates to clarify their position and resolutely rule out any deal with the Tories.
Commenting, the SNP’s candidate in Sighthill/Gorgie Cllr Cathy Fullerton (above) said: “We are absolutely clear – The SNP will not put austerity-obsessed Tories into power in councils across Scotland.
“The Tory party is moving further and further to the right, and it would be reckless to do anything that risked putting hard line Tories in charge of our schools, social care and local housing.
“A vote for the SNP is a vote to back public services, oppose austerity and protect our communities from relentless Tory cuts – guaranteed.”
SNP candidate in Craigentinny/Duddingston Cllr Alex Lunn said: “We have made it clear that in Edinburgh, and across Scotland, the SNP will not join forces with ever more regressive and locally-disengaged Tories.
“People in Edinburgh deserve to know whether a vote for Labour is a vote to put the increasingly right-wing Tories in charge of our local services.
“It is time for Edinburgh Labour candidates to speak up, and tell people across our city what they are voting for – or people in Edinburgh will legitimately fear that a vote for Labour may be a vote for a Tory-run administration.”
The system of voting used in the local government elections means it’s very unlikely that any one party will be able to form a majority administration. A short period of ‘horse-trading’ follows, with the largest party negotiating deals to ensure the smooth running of the new council.
Labour and the SNP – the two biggest parties – formed the so-called ‘Capital Coalition’ to run Edinburgh after the last council elections in 2012. Neither party had flagged up the possibility of this partnership arrangement in the run-up to the election, so maybe this time round in the interests of transparency ALL parties should come out and state clearly who they would – and would not – consider doing deals with.
Voters will have the opportunity to have their say on how well – or how poorly – the Capital Coalition has served the city on 4 May.
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