THE rift which has ripped through Scottish local government in the 18 months can be healed by the incoming regime at the country's largest council, it has been claimed.
With a new leader due to be in place at Glasgow City Council in less than a fortnight, overtures have already been made to the likely incumbents to meet to discuss the split.
The president of Cosla, which represents the overwhelming majority of Scotland's councils, said the departure of outgoing leader presented an opportunity for a single entity again representing all 32 local authorities.
Both frontrunners for the job, favourite Frank McAveety and Malcolm Cunning, have both indicated they would be prepared to at least hear what David O'Neill had to say.
Mr Matheson, who leaves his post after five years at the helm of Glasgow's Labour administration, was seen as instrumental in leading a breakaway group of rebel councils from Cosla in a row over where the power lies within the organisation, how funding to local authorities is distributed and the overall effectiveness of the body.
Although several Labour-led councils pulled out of the breakaway group four, including Glasgow, Aberdeen, South Lanarkshire and Renfrewshire, formed the Scottish Local Government Partnership.
Speaking ahead of the first Cosla meeting following the summer recess, Mr O'Neill said: "Whoever is successful in becoming leader of Glasgow City Council, one of the first telephone calls they will get will be from myself as Cosla President seeking a meeting in a bid to try and get Glasgow City Council back into the Cosla fold.
“A new leader at Glasgow provides a new opportunity for contact which has not been available to anyone at COSLA of late and that is why I will be trying to meet with the new political leadership at the earliest possible opportunity.
“As I say it would be great to see Scotland's largest council recognising the benefits of being part of a wider collective and returning to the COSLA family in the same way that we fully recognise the benefits of them coming back and this is something that I will be putting to the new regime at Glasgow in the strongest possible terms. "Hopefully I now at least have the chance to get in the door for a meeting."
Mr Cunning said: "In the circumstances that I was the new leader and the request was made I would be happy to meet with them. It would be remiss of me to refuse such meetings."
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