THE antipathy was visceral, as much personal as political. It was, to quote a former Cosla chief, the worst that relations have been between local and national government in Scotland post-devolution.
And both sides of the fight belonged to the same party, Labour. The early years of the Scottish Parliament were marked by particular dynamics and while we are unlikely to see anything comparing with those testy times, having the same party at the helm locally and nationally is not necessarily recipe for harmony.
All the indications are the SNP will take on the presidency of Cosla. It will scour its council ranks for experience, presence and ability, someone to take a role held by a Labour politician for the entirety of Cosla’s history. The incumbent will not go seeking a row with ministers but will not have to wait long for a test to emerge.
By November councils will again know how they have to deal with the mounting pressures on precious frontline services. The indications are several more years of austerity and spending cuts. The new president can of course point to root cause at Westminster but colleagues at Holyrood have choices. As Scotland’s pre-eminent councillor they have champion their cause and fight their corner. To roll over and cite national priorities isn’t a good look. For the first time since they came to power in 2007 an SNP politician will have to robustly mark out their independence from ministers. Their interests are not just that of the party’s. Then comes the ‘reform’.
Cosla has long lived under the tag ‘Labour-dominated’. It has been an easy phrase to trot out when its agenda is at odds with that of the Scottish Government. Localism, for many SNP supporters, simply obstructs the national project.
It can no longer be called such. Friday’s election results have created a whole new set of relationships.
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