The SNP has lost control of North Lanarkshire Council – following a knife-edge leadership contest decided by a single vote after one of their own councillors voted against them.
Labour is now returning to form a minority administration at the Civic Centre in Motherwell after winning 38-37 in this afternoon’s dramatic vote to fill the leadership vacancy created when Jordan Linden of the SNP resigned after two months in the post following claims of sexual harassment.
It saw second-placed party Labour gain the support of the Conservative group, British Unionist member, and in a dramatic twist, that of veteran Airdrie South SNP councillor Michael Coyle – which swung the ballot and ousted his own party from power after less than three months in administration.
Jim Logue and Paul Kelly, who were previously North Lanarkshire’s leader and depute before May’s election, are now back in those posts and plan to put forward a new team of Labour conveners to replace the incumbents in leading the council’s committees before its next meeting cycle begins in less than two weeks.
Newly-elected SNP group leader Tracy Carragher, who took over the party leadership last week following Councillor Linden’s resignation, has been deposed from her previous role of depute council leader and will now head its opposition.
The former governing party’s bid to stay in power with their new team of Councillors Carragher and Alan Masterton at the helm was supported by Green member Claire Williams and independent Robert McKendrick, while Alan Beveridge, the Airdrie independent, abstained.
Councillor Coyle’s defection to support the Labour group provided the single vote needed to decide the outcome of the dramatic nine-minute meeting which led to the power switch at the council headquarters in Motherwell.
Returning leader Councillor Logue, who joined the hybrid meeting remotely, said: “While I did not anticipate being in this position, it is clear that there is much to do quickly.
“I am determined to lead an administration which serves all the people of North Lanarkshire, and in doing so, I aim to work with elected members across the whole council in a constructive way.”
North Lanarkshire’s SNP group – which won 36 seats at the election compared to Labour’s 32 – had said ahead of the key vote that “the idea that Labour would attempt to seize control in collaboration with the Tories and the BUP is an affront to democracy”.
Former depute leader Councillor Carragher had called on councillors to “do the right thing and support the SNP to continue in administration”; while Airdrie & Shotts MSP Neil Gray had said that: “Any proposal to elect a Labour leader of the council would be another shameless attempt at a power grab.”
North Lanarkshire will also require a separate special meeting later this month to fill the vacant role of provost, after Agnes Magowan stepped down earlier this week “with a very heavy heart” citing family health reasons.
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