Scottish local government is better when it speaks with "a single, united voice"

The president of Scotland’s local government umbrella body has offered an olive branch to the new Glasgow City Council leader, encouraging the local authority to re-join the organisation.

Earlier this year, Labour-led Glasgow pulled out of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) and alongside Aberdeen, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, formed the Scottish Local Government Partnership.

However, with Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson standing down next week, COSLA president David O’Neill has said he intends to approach the new leader as soon as they are appointed to encourage them to re-join COSLA.

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O'Neill said:  "Whoever is successful in becoming leader of Glasgow City Council, one of the first telephone calls they will get will be from myself as COSLA president seeking a meeting in a bid to try and get Glasgow City Council back into the COSLA fold. 

“Scottish local government speaks better when it is speaking with a single, united voice and there is no doubt that Glasgow as Scotland’s largest council adds both a degree of weight and expertise to that voice.”

Speaking ahead of the first COSLA meeting following the summer recess, O’Neill likened Scotland’s councils to a family.

He added: “When families fall out it is a matter for regret and not anger. 

“There is no doubt in my mind that being unable to speak with one unified voice leaves the whole of local government and the communities we serve in a weakened position

“No matter how difficult things have been for COSLA as an organisation, with four councils out, I have always been clear that the door be left open for any or all of the councils to come back at any stage.”

O’Neill said a new leader in Glasgow provides a “new opportunity for contact which has not been available to anyone at COSLA of late” and that he would be trying to meet with the new political leadership at the earliest opportunity.

Matheson, who has run Scotland’s largest council for the last five years, will step down on Thursday 10 September with a new leader expected to be appointed on the same day.

He said he was “ready to pass the baton” on to a new leader.