“We are in the same position as Holyrood.

“We are the biggest single party and will be approaching certain other members of the council.

“We have a number of options, but, if some play hard to get, we will form a minority administration.

“There has been a clear invitation from the people of Dundee that they want an SNP administration.”

Councillor Guild said they were not ruling anything out or in, but it looks certain both the Nats and Labour will be setting out their stall to attract the support of the minority groups in an attempt to seize power.

Labour leader Kevin Keenan said they had made no approaches as yet nor come to any conclusions, but confirmed approaches would be made.

The Lib Dem gang of two, if they can be persuaded, would give the SNP the requisite support to be the biggest faction on the council.

The Tories also indicated they expect to be speaking to the main players, and their support or otherwise will depend on how their plans and aspirations match up to the Conservative group aims.

Fraser Macpherson’s Lib Dem group will not follow the course of colleagues at Holyrood and keep the two main parties at arms’ length, but instead will speak with them.

He said, “We will speak to everyone in an attempt to create a suitable administration. The arithmetic tells us there is a need for people from the different political groups to work together for the good of the city.

“We have a manifesto and we will have to compare our priorities with those of the other parties.”

Many of these priorities, he said, could be regarded as bread and butter issues, such as cutting down the number of committees which meet at the council chambers and the adoption of footpaths throughout the city.

Tory leader Rod Wallace is braced for the wooing, which he said would begin shortly, and confirmed his party would talk to both the SNP and Labour.

“The sooner we get things up and running the better, because the city has to continue to function, but I also hope that common sense will prevail.”