Minority administration now in control at South Lanarkshire Council

A new partnership has been formed to take control of South Lanarkshire Council.
Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have formed a minority administration, that will have support from the Independent Group.Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have formed a minority administration, that will have support from the Independent Group.
Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have formed a minority administration, that will have support from the Independent Group.

Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have formed a minority administration, that will have support from the Independent Group.

The three will help deliver each other’s manifesto commitments and pursue their shared priorities for the area.

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However, each Party remains free to take its own policy positions on matters not covered by the partnership agreement.

Both the SNP and Conservative groups are now recognised as opposition parties. It means a change of political control at the council, which for the past five years has had an SNP administration.

The newly elected Labour and Liberal Democrat partnership administration promised to set new directions for South Lanarkshire.

It announced it would bring forward new policies and initiatives to help overcome the challenges facing residents and the council, with a clear focus on improving life and services for people here.

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It will also oppose both Scottish Government funding cuts and its damaging agenda of centralisation.

At the council’s first meeting since this month’s local elections, the partners nominated Independent Group leader Margaret Cooper and long-standing Labour Councillor Bert Thomson to become Provost and Deputy Provost.

They were elected with only SNP and Green councillors opposed. A new joint Labour and Liberal Democrat partnership administration was then elected.

Labour councillors Joe Fagan and Gerry Convery are now respectively leader of the council and deputy leader.

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Councillor Fagan said: “South Lanarkshire needs new leadership and that is what this agreement delivers. A progressive alliance of councillors have chosen to co-operate, to do politics better and find common ground.

“It’s time to build our local services back after Covid, to crack down on graffiti and fly-tipping, to stand by the frontline workers who sweep the streets, fix our pavements and care for those in need.

“It’s time to get our economy moving again. And it’s time to stand up to the Scottish Government, after years of under-funding, and demand our area’s fair share of public spending.

“Our people have come through a pandemic, they are in the grip of a cost of living crisis and our public services have been stretched to breaking point.

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“I look forward to working with our new partners and councillors of all parties to make our council work better for the people of South Lanarkshire.”

The Liberal Democrats’ Robert Brown is the new chair of community and enterprise, with his party colleague Mark McGeever appointed chair of climate change.

The partnership administration will also include chairs of finance and corporate resources, education resources, housing and technical resources and social work resources.