Clackmannanshire Council left without administration after SNP group resigns

Clackmannanshire Council has been left without leadership after the ruling SNP group resigned from administration in a row over standing orders yesterday.

A special meeting of the council will be held to attempt to appoint a new administration, but in the meantime the council is left with no leader, depute leader or provost.

A number of council committees, Education, Sport and Leisure; Enterprise and Environment; Resources and Audit; and Regulatory, have also been left without conveners.

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According to the Alloa Advertiser, the resignations followed the passing of a Labour motion proposing changes to the council’s standing orders, including that the convener of the Resources and Audit Committee being a member of the opposition.

Clackmannanshire Council is currently made up of eight SNP councillors, eight Labour councillors, one Conservative and one independent.

The SNP administration relies on independent councillor Archie Drummond to back its proposals.

However, Drummond was suspended in April for six months and is currently not allowed to attend council meetings.

In his absence the Labour group and one Conservative councillor were together able to push through the changes to standing orders against the will of the SNP administration.

In a statement after the meeting the SNP group leader, Les Sharp, said: "The Labour/Tory block vote to such a fundamental matter as the council’s standing orders has made it clear that the SNP are unable to command a majority on Clackmannanshire Council and had no alternative other than to resign administration with immediate effect.

"It is vital that an administration has a degree of control over appointments and without that it is impossible to proceed. It is now over to the Labour group to try and form a majority.

"In the interests of the people of Clackmannanshire, we were willing to proceed with the meeting to take decisions on the important matters on today’s agenda however we were once again out voted by what looks set to become a regular Labour/Tory alliance.”

A council spokesperson told Holyrood: “At this morning's meeting of council, the SNP group resigned its administration.

“This means that at the moment there is no formal political leadership of the council in that the positions of provost, depute provosts, leader, depute leader and those convenorships previously held by the SNP group are vacant.

“A special meeting of council will be convened in due course seeking councillors to fill the vacated positions.”