Labour loses power in Glasgow after almost 40 years

Labour has lost overall control of Glasgow City Council with the SNP expected to become the biggest party.

The party needed to get all its candidates elected to retain its majority at the city chambers, which has been a Labour stronghold for almost 40 years.

Labour has been in power there since 1980, and fielded 43 candidates for the 85 seats split across 23 multi-member wards.

The SNP fielded 56 candidates, while the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both had 23 and the Greens had 20.

Labour MSP Anas Sarwar said losing seats is “disappointing'' for the party.

He said: “I think it's important to remember that Labour have always been underdogs in Glasgow in terms of this election. I don't think it's right to compare this election with 2012. The SNP are clearly the favourite in this election and I think it's important to look at the vote in that context.''

He added that “losing any seats and candidates in Glasgow is disappointing for us'', but said it is too early to tell if the SNP will win a majority.

He said: “The SNP have been telling us for weeks that they are guaranteed to win a majority in Glasgow. If they don't, I think it is a bitter blow for them.''

Labour slipped from power in the first three wards declared, losing two seats to the SNP, while the Conservatives doubled their previous tally to two and the Greens also gained.

Former council leader Frank McAveety held on to his seat in Shettleston but two other Labour seats were lost to SNP candidates Laura Doherty and Michelle Ferns and 20-year-old Conservative Thomas Kerr.

Mr Kerr said: “I'm shocked... when you stand as a candidate for the Conservatives in the east end of Glasgow you don't expect something like this to happen, but I think people recognised I'm a local voice and will stand up for local issues.''

SNP group leader Susan Aitken retained her seat in Langside and the party also picked up a new councillor position created by boundary ward changes, with the remaining two seats retained by Labour and the Greens.

In the new ward of Partick East/Kelvindale, Labour, the SNP, the Conservatives and Greens each returned one candidate.

The SNP remain in the lead with nine seats after three more ward results were declared, with Labour currently on seven, the Greens equalling their previous tally of four and the Tories' formerly sole councillor David Meikle retaining his seat to take their total to three so far.

Green co-convener Patrick Harvie said Labour voters were “almost apologising'' for their party choice on the doorsteps, and he predicted no one party would have overall control of the council.

He said: “Our vote is clearly up and particularly where our candidates and campaigners have been active, it has had a definite impact on the results we are getting.''

He said the SNP has so far not been returning a majority of councillors in each ward and it will have to start doing so to gain majority control of the council.

On Labour's fortunes, he said: “Pretty much everyone I've spoken to on the doorsteps who tells me they are voting Labour, it seems almost like an apology. Labour voters are very disheartened at the state of the party and I can understand why.''

"It looks like it might be a balanced council, that would give our councillors the opportunity to really push for radical change as we have done in the Scottish Parliament,'' he added.

The Greens and Conservatives made further gains as results for a further four wards were declared, with the former taking one seat and the latter two, while Labour gained five and the SNP secured six.

Once more than half of the council's 85 seats are declared, expected to be in the next round of results, it will become clear whether the SNP can gain majority control or whether a minority administration or coalition is on the cards.

Sole Liberal Democrat councillor Margot Clark lost her seat in the Linn ward, where Labour also lost a seat and the Tories and SNP both gained one each.

Ade Aibinu, 28, continued the Tory revival in Glasgow by winning a Victoria Park seat.

The pharmacologist is originally from Nigeria but has studied in the UK since 2008.

He said: “I'm a people person and want to serve the public.

“Glasgow is a wonderful city.''

Mr Aibinu joined the Scottish Tories in 2015.

He said: “It is the party for aspiration and wants to see people strive.

“I see myself as someone who wants to make a real change.

“I hate injustice and I believe the Conservative platform is the one for me to stand for and the voters agreed with that.''