| “It was a complete shock,” he said. “I was involved in a general discussion about licensing and other matters yesterday when he called me to a meeting and broke the news.
“Having been a party stalwart all his breathing days, I don’t know what’s happened but he is very passionate about everything just now.
“It would appear he has had a long, hard think about it and I gather he has the support of his family, who have always been very close.
“I hope upon all hopes that this does not backfire against him and Ian Borthwick as well because it would seem they are going forward as a team from here.”
The SNP have already said they will be putting forward the names of current incumbents Mr Letford and Mr Borthwick as lord provost and deputy.
“It does seem a strange situation that an SNP administration will not have civic heads who are from within their own group,” added Councillor Wallace.
He said he understood the Lord Provost is going to vote with the SNP and that made any alternative to an SNP administration unlikely.
“The die is cast,” he continued. “We have said all along, and I still stand by it, that we will not be seen to support the SNP.
“We, along with the Labour and Lib Dem groups, will become opposition parties and it will our task to scrutinise the SNP’s moves,” he said.
Lib Dem group leader Fraser Macpherson said, “Basically we have taken the view that we will not be participating in discussions taking place in smoke-filled rooms.
“We will reserve our position to the special meeting on Monday. We will wait to see how matters develop and make our position clear then.”
Councillor Macpherson declined to make any comment about Lord Provost John Letford or his decision to resign from the Labour group. |
