SNP minority administration formed in Glasgow - with Susan Aitken returned as council leader

By Drew Sanderlands

A new SNP minority administration has been formed in Glasgow, with Susan Aitken returned as council leader.

The first meeting of the new term saw the SNP, supported by the Greens, take control of Glasgow City Council for the next five years.

Cllr Ricky Bell was voted in as deputy leader of the council and Cllr Jacqueline McLaren, SNP, is the new Lord Provost.

As part of the deal with the Greens over forming an administration, Cllr Christy Mearns was re-elected as deputy Lord Provost.

The Green group councillor, for Anderston/City/Yorkhill, received the SNP’s backing.

Cllr Aitken said she was “enormously grateful” to colleagues for their support. “Serving the people of this city I love is the greatest privilege and biggest responsibility of my life.”

She added: “The SNP will work every day for Glasgow and for Glaswegians — striving to improve our neighbourhoods, tackle poverty and inequalities, confront the climate emergency and build an economy that works for all.”

The new Lord Provost, who replaces Labour’s Cllr Philip Braat, said she was thrilled to become the sixth woman to take the post.

Cllr McLaren said: “In 2017, I became a councillor to represent the hardworking people of my community."

"I am an ordinary Glaswegian who has been given an extraordinary opportunity to represent the people of my great city.

“I want the people of Glasgow to know that I am available to them and I am here to serve them."

"I hope to be a Lord Provost that will help to improve the lives of others, those that have been forgotten about and left behind."

“I want my term to be about making this building more accessible to the public to demonstrate how this city operates and be available and inclusive to the citizens of Glasgow, a Lord Provost of the people.”

Both the SNP and Greens have said their agreement isn’t binding on any votes beyond today’s meeting.

However, they will work together on “shared, progressive priorities” — and a strategic plan for the council term 2022 to 2027. Over the last council term, the support of the Greens helped the SNP to pass its annual budget proposals.

Green councillors will also fill a number of senior roles on the council, including a new post of chair of a net zero and climate progress monitoring committee, which will be taken by Cllr Lana Reid-McConnell.

Glasgow Labour’s business manager Frank McAveety criticised the Greens for “propping up the failing leadership of Susan Aitken and claiming to be separate from the administration”.

“In the last administration, Labour had helped Martin Bartos (then a Green councillor) to facilitate a role for him on SPT (Strathclyde Partnership for Transport) and yet they backed to the hilt the SNP today to not even allow any Labour representation.”

Four SNP and one Greens councillor have been appointed to the SPT board. Cllr McAveety called it “an old fashioned fix”, saying: “On the grounds of proportionality, there should have been two Labour members.”

He also believed Labour’s candidate for Lord Provost, Cllr Patricia Ferguson, should have been elected, citing her years of experience as an MSP, Scottish Government minister and former deputy presiding officer.

Glasgow City Council official roles

Susan Aitken (SNP): leader and convener for city and city region economy and just transition

Ricky Bell (SNP): deputy leader and city treasurer and convener for financial inclusion

Greg Hepburn (SNP): business manager and convener for open government

Christina Cannon (SNP): convener for education and communities

Allan Casey (SNP): convener for workforce and homelessness and addiction services

Ruairi Kelly (SNP): convener for neighbourhood services and assets

Kenny McLean (SNP): convener for housing, development, built heritage and land use

Chris Cunningham (SNP): convener for health, care and caring and equalities

Annette Christie (SNP): convener for culture, sport and international relations (and chair of Glasgow Life)

Angus Millar (SNP): convener for climate, Glasgow green deal, transport and city centre recovery

George Redmond (Labour): leader of the opposition

Soryia Siddique (Labour): depute leader of the opposition

Frank McAveety (Labour): opposition business manager

Franny Scally (SNP): contracts and property committee convener

Graham Campbell (SNP): education, skills and early years city policy committee convener

Elaine McSporran (SNP): environment, sustainability and carbon reduction city policy committee convener

Martha Wardrop (Greens): neighbourhoods, housing and public realm city policy committee convener

Lana Reid-McConnell (Greens): net zero and climate progress monitoring committee convener

Anne McTaggart (SNP): wellbeing, empowerment, community, citizen engagement and general purposes city policy committee convener

Frank McAveety (Labour): finance and audit scrutiny committee convener

Maureen Burke (Labour): operational performance and delivery scrutiny committee convener

Elaine Gallagher (Greens): just transition working group convener

Alex Wilson (SNP): licensing and regulatory committee convener

Ken Andrew (SNP): planning applications committee convener

Annette Christie (SNP): repatriation and spoliation convener

Ricky Bell (SNP): Strathclyde Pension Fund committee convener