On Thursday morning, worried SNP councillors saw their record 15 years at the head of East Ayrshire Council come under threat, believing that Labour were set to push for control of the council.
By lunchtime the expected move by Labour had collapsed and the SNP had not only managed to return Provost Jim Todd and Depute Provost Claire Leitch, less than a year after they were ousted, but had seen councillor Douglas Reid returned as leader unopposed.
Cllr Reid believed other parties had been in talks about backing a Labour administration and said his efforts to negotiate had been continually rebuffed.
