Following the election results which were announced on Friday, The Edinburgh Reporter understands that there may be a minority coalition administration. Talks will take place this weekend.
This alliance could be formed between the SNP, who have more seats than any other single party, and most probably, the Labour Group. The two parties have been in coalition for the last five years, although the balance of power was swung the other way. Now the Labour numbers on the council have been more than halved, but with the SNP councillors they could still hold some of the convenership posts at the City Chambers.
The election has returned 19 SNP councillors in Edinburgh, just one more than the Conservative Group. The LibDems and Greens increased their numbers and the Labour group is less than half the size it was in the last administration.
There are now five more councillors than before so 63 councillors will represent city residents. It is unlikely that the SNP and Conservatives could form a coalition given their very different stances on environmental matters, and a difference in ideology on matters like waste collection. The Tory group have continually said that the last five years under the Labour/SNP coalition were “five wasted years”, and that waste collection should have been contracted out to a private company under the Alternative Business Model that they favour.
After an AGM held at around 5pm on Friday evening the SNP group elected their fourth leader in five years. If, as is likely, the SNP lead the new coalition then the Council Leader will be much younger than before.
Councillor Adam McVey was elected for the first time at the last election in 2012 in Leith, and has served as Vice-Convener of Transport and Environment.
Now he looks set to become Council Leader in the capital.
Here he is with the SNP Group at the City Chambers
A HUGE thank you to everyone who voted for us yesterday!
We’ve WON the Council elections for the first time… EVER!! #Counci17 pic.twitter.com/TL61OugD9b— EdinburghSNP (@EdinburghSNP) May 5, 2017
Adam previously worked for Amnesty International and a leading social investment trust, having also been involved in insolvency work and the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He is an Economics graduate of Dundee University and an International Law graduate of the University of Edinburgh.
The new Conservative leader is Councillor Iain Whyte who represents Inverleith and who takes over from Cameron Rose who was ousted from the leadership position, and Cammy Day who is the Labour councillor in Forth ward becomes leader of the Labour Group. The Labour leader Andrew Burns retired from local government at this election.
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
