EDINBURGH City Council leader Adam McVey has insisted the people have voted for “progressive politics” as he expects his SNP group to become the biggest party in the capital.
Mr McVey, who was re-elected in the Leith ward of the city, anticipates the SNP will have “roughly the same number of councillors” as in 2017.
He said: “The difference, of course is that no other party has come anywhere close to the number of seats we’re expecting to get.
“We think this gives us a very strong mandate but obviously in a system and a council that’s so pluralistic, it’s incumbent on us now to work with other parties to try and deliver on our positive vision for Edinburgh.”
Asked whether talks has started with other parties about forming a council administration following his previous coalition with Labour, Mr McVey said: “We will continue to have conversations with all parties.
“We need to wait until the final result before we start having any significant conversations.”
He added: “The really important thing is that the city has a clear direction of travel – a clear programme. Without that, we’re really going to struggle.
“With all the discussions cross-party, I think it’s very clear that the people of Edinburgh have voted for progressive politics in this election.
“They’ve voted in large part for the SNP and I think we will emerge as the largest party, hopefully by some considerable distance. But that onus on us to work to together to deliver on that positive and progressive vision.”
Asked if he would be open to running the city as a minority administration, Mr McVey said “the city needs a clear way forward”.
He added: “We will continue to discuss things with the other progressive parties. “We obviously won’t be speaking very much to our Conservative colleagues who have dwindled significantly in number.
“I think any party is not keen to have a conversation with them. I think they need to sort themselves out with their own leadership within the city and within Scotland before having meaningful conversations with anybody.”
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