Glasgow Labour councillor Russell Robertson has defected to The SNP - two months after revealing that he supports Scottish independence.
The official announcement will be made today at an event in Glasgow for activists, which Nicola Sturgeon will attend.
Leader of the SNP group Susan Aitken will speak about Mr Robertson’s transition before the First Minister takes to the stage.
Mr Robertson is the second former Labour councillor to join the SNP in the last two years.
Councillor Stephen Dornan became an SNP councillor in December 2014 after campaigning first for Better Together then Yes Scotland in the run up to the Scottish independence referendum.
The latest defection does not affect Labour’s control of the local authority. Mr Russell takes the number of SNP opposition councillors to 29. Labour has 44.
SNP group leader Ms Aitken said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Russell. In the interactions I’ve had with him, he’s always been very decent. He’s got a good reputation as a local councillor. He’s very highly regarded by community groups as hard working, which I think isn’t necessarily the case for all of the Labour councillors.”
Mr Robertson, who represents Glasgow’s East Centre ward, declared his support for Scottish independence in an impassioned Facebook post in November.
He said: “That was when I came out the political closet, as it were. I’ve now come out of the closet twice in my life.
“It built up after my post on Facebook. I was disillusioned with Westminster, the Smith Commission, The vow not being met and Scotland being short changed.
“It’s been a journey and I’ve moved on from Labour. It’s about looking forward now, not back.”
Mr Robertson’s move was rubber stamped by the SNP yesterday after a series of meetings.
Ms Aitken said: “He and I spoke. He said he’d made the decision (to defect). I told him to think very hard about it and that he needed to be absolutely clear that this was definitely what he wanted.
“I told him there was no guarantees about selection, if that’s what he was thinking. The only people who decide who gets to stand for the SNP are the members of the SNP.
“So, I told him if his motivation is anything other than to come across and genuinely campaign for the SNP and for independence then he should think twice.
“I told him to take a couple of days and he did. He came back to me and said he definitely wanted to do it.”
Mr Robertson added: “For me it’s about how we run Glasgow and I feel being part of the SNP group and the party as a whole is about change.
“I feel the SNP are fresh and they’re about listening. That’s been the drivers for me to join.
“I also believe that if SNP members in the group come up with ideas they’ll be acted on.”
Ms Aitken added: “I thought he was very sincere when he talked about the shift he’d made and the realisation he’d come to about wanting to be part of the SNP and to campaign for independence.
“That’s all we’re looking for. Anybody who wants to join us and campaign in good faith and sincerity for independence, we’re delighted to have them.”
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