Susan Aitken: Labour are very foolish to rule out a deal with the SNP

However, the STV electoral system makes it difficult for any one party to win a majority with many councils run by coalitions.

Susan Aitken has run the country's largest local authority as a minority administration since 2017 after the SNP took control of Glasgow city council from Labour for the first time in almost 40 years. It has mostly relied on support from the Greens to get key policies and financial plans passed.

At the weekend Councillor Aitken said she would be interested in a more formal arrangement with the Scottish Greens.

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And in an interview with the Herald, she raised the possibility of the SNP working with Labour in a coalition, though she pointed out that Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar had ruled out that arrangement, and that it was less likely than a SNP/Green deal.

Asked whether she would be open to working with Labour in a coalition, she said: "We would be open to having discussions. I think it is less likely I've got to say [than one with the Greens].

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

"Anas Sarwar has said Labour won't do any deals with the SNP. I think that is very foolish I've got to say."

She added: "There are some pretty well functioning SNP and Labour administrations, Edinburgh, East Renfrewshire, Stirling, Dumfries and Galloway, Fife. There's quite a few of them."

She was asked if she would prefer a coalition deal with Labour or the Greens.

"I think it is a bit early to say. But what I would say is that we have worked with all parties in the council on a vote by vote basis. We have lost very few votes over the past five years," she said.

"And it is because we have worked to build consensus and to build a coalition around our programme and our policies because we think they are the right things for the city and we have largely been able to do that our working relationship with the Greens on the budgets, particularly the past three budgets we have done has been very constructive.

"It's been very mature. It's not that we don't have areas of disagreement. We do but we've worked through those for the good of the city.

"I think we would be more than happy to continue to have those conversations with our Green colleagues. 

"If our Labour colleagues were up for something constructive, mature conversations about how we move forward for the good of the city, then we would be happy to have those conversations with them too. Whether they are in that space or not, I'm not sure. It's up to them."

She added: "An SNP Labour coalition in deal would be pretty unlikely, but I wouldn't rule anything out.

"Mature and constructive joint working, we are always up for. And we would talk to Labour if they were up for talking to us in constructive way. I wouldn't rule anything out. But we are campaigning to win."

Councillor Aitken also told The Herald she would stand down as SNP group leader if her party lost.

"If the SNP were to lose the election and as a consequence of that I was no longer leader of the council, I would also stand down as leader of the SNP group," she said.

"Because at that point clearly, the group would need the opportunity to have a fresh start and to rebuild, and I think new leadership would be important in that respect. I am confident that I have colleagues who have more than have the capacity and ability to take on that role."

The SNP won 39 seats in 2017 with Labour taking 31.

In order to govern as a majority, any party needs 43 seats.

Asked about the prospect of winning a majority, Councillor Aitken said: "It is very very difficult under STV. It would be great, but very difficult under STV. In many ways it is designed to avoid majorities and to create either coalitions or minorities.

"What I would say is that although having been a minority administration has been very very challenging, we have actually done it very well.

"We have been able to deliver the vast majority of what we want to deliver."

Labour group leader Councillor Malcolm Cunning said he believed it was "perfectly feasible" that Labour could become the largest party. 

"If we end up as the largest party, certainly we will be entering discussions with others to see what could be done in order that we can run the administration," he said.

However, he ruled out a coalition with the Tories and the SNP.

"Clearly, we are not in the game of having any coalition with the Tories. We would look to run - as the SNP have done - as a minority administration," he said.

Asked about discussions with other parties, he said: "There would be some level of discussion, particularly at the first meeting as too how they would likely to go, in terms of putting people up for positions. But there would be no discussions in terms of formal coalitions."

Pressed that Labour was in coalition with Labour in Edinburgh city council, he said: "The number and the balance in Edinburgh is entirely different to that in Glasgow. Local solutions, for local situations."

He added: "We would be happy to have discussions with other parties - not about a formal coalition - there are arrangements that can be made short of a coalition in terms of 'what is required for you to vote for our nominee for say chair of social work' or head of the administration."

Glasgow Conservative group leader Thomas Kerr: “Susan Aitken has well and truly let the cat out the bag.

“We know that Labour would be all too happy to prop up the nationalists in Glasgow as they are already doing so in six councils across Scotland.

“Indeed over the past five years, Councillor Cunning and his Labour colleagues have always preferred to work with the SNP and Greens instead of working with other pro-UK parties.

“Susan Aitken has jumped on that weakness of Labour to stand up to her party and is dangling the prospect of another SNP-Labour coalition in a few weeks time.

“Only the Scottish Conservatives can be trusted to stand up to the SNP. We will never do a deal with them in Glasgow or anywhere in Scotland.

“If people want this election to be focused on their local priorities and not the SNP’s, then they must vote Scottish Conservative next month.”