For the first time in two decades, Labour lost overall control in Dundee at the 1999 poll. As the largest single party on the council, it operated for the next four years as a minority administration.

But in 2003, Labour was able to hold on to power only by stitching together a deal to work with the Liberal Democrats.

Even then, the two parties could not command an overall majority and had to rely on the Conservatives to prop them up.

It has been stressed that the Tories are not a formal part of the coalition, but without their support it would have been well nigh impossible to retain any kind of stable administration.

The SNP won the most seats in 2003 but were frozen out by the other three parties — a fact that still rankles with the Nationalists.

At present, the SNP has 11 wards, Labour 10, Tories five and the Liberal Democrats two. Ian Borthwick is the sole independent.

It is always more likely that a party will be able to command an overall majority under the first past the post voting system, but none of them has managed it in Dundee for eight years.

So the chances of it happening under the new proportional representation system — the Single Transferable Vote (STV) — seem remote.

More probably, Dundee can expect another four-year term of coalition administration.

But who will be part of that coalition this time is a lot more difficult to predict.

If the SNP’s recent performance in the opinion polls translates into votes, then it may well remain the largest single party and edge closer to the 15 wards needed for an overall majority.

Should that be at the expense of Labour, the gap between the parties would grow, making it harder for Labour to retain power even with the support of other groups or individuals.

What enabled Labour to keep the Nationalists out in 2003 was Tory antipathy to working with the SNP — and vice versa.

Ironically, Labour’s ability to keep a grip on power could depend as much on how many Conservatives are elected as on the number of wards they win themselves.

The Lib Dems are also likely to figure in the equation, even if they don’t increase their representation. They could be seen as potential partners for either Labour or the SNP.

But, in truth, anyone who gets elected to the council, either as an Independent or sole representative of a smaller party, could have an influence on the makeup of the next administration.

It took a fortnight after the last election before an administration emerged. If the voters are feeling mischievous again, there could be more headaches to come for Dundee’s politicians.