A war of words has broken out between rival politicians following the collapse of the administration running Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The SNP/Labour/Independents coalition that has run the council for less than nine months crumbled at the council’s annual budget setting meeting on Tuesday.
Labour’s budget proposals fell at the first hurdle after failing to receive enough votes, and then Labour councillors refused to support the SNP/Independents.
The Conservatives budget was then passed on a 19-16 vote after receiving the backing of independent councillors David Slater and Denis Male.
This made the position of SNP council leader, Stephen Thompson, untenable and paved the way for the Conservatives to sweep into power.
Annandale North Councillor Gail Macgregor, leader of the Conservatives Group, is expected to be named as new council leader next week, while Nith Councillor Malcolm Johnstone is set to be appointed deputy leader.
Within hours of stepping down, Stephen Thompson was gunning for the Labour Group he’d shared power with since last summer, accusing them of abandoning the community to play “irresponsible politics of the playground”.
He said: “At exactly the moment people are depending on their politicians to work together to come up with answers that benefit all, Labour has shown its true colours. Its actions are not the actions of serious politicians. They are playing games for their own short-term, blinkered political ends and the people of Dumfries and Galloway should neither forgive nor forget this shameful behaviour.
“Like mindless puppets, this Labour group has taken its orders from Anas Sarwar to abandon voters with its petty posturing.
“Labour has proved it is simply not up to the job – it can’t be trusted to run a bath let alone a council or government.”
Councillor Thompson had been acting as council co-leader with Labour counterpart Linda Dorward, and the arrangement appeared to be working well until Labour leader Anas Sarwar insisted that his party would not be entering into any deals with the SNP.
Pressure mounted and cracks appeared, with Linda Dorward resigning as council co-leader last month.
However, Councillor Archie Dryburgh, recently-appointed leader of the Labour Group, revealed that there was still an opportunity for the coalition to keep the Tories out but no agreement could be reached.
He said: “The Labour group have been in discussions for weeks with the other groups in the administration. Doesn’t it tell you a lot when two of the independent group don’t vote for their own budget?”
Incoming council leader Gail Macgregor said the local authority has been in disarray for months with tensions between Labour and SNP, and insisted that she intends to “bring a bit of calm to the council”.
