SUPPORT for independence and opposition to a hard Brexit will see the SNP take control of Glasgow council for the first time ever, one of the party's election campaign chiefs has said.

SNP campaign co-chair Susan Aitken said a victory for her party in Glasgow in May was more likely due to the majority of the city's electorate voting Yes in 2014.

Speaking to the Sunday Herald, Aitken said that she did not "think Glaswegians' support for independence has diminished" since the independence referendum was held.

She also said as the "political battle" in Scotland was now between the SNP and "Unionist" Tories it was “increasingly less likely" Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson's parties would form pacts to run local authorities.

However, she said the fear of Labour-Tory alliances running local councils will help the SNP make gains, in what will be the final scheduled test of Scotland-wide opinion until the 2020 UK General Election.

Aitken, the leader of the SNP opposition group on Glasgow council, said the threat of a hard Brexit and the prospect of a second independence referendum would influence how people vote on May 4.

She said: "The local elections are never entirely divorced from the national context and certainly the threat of a Tory hard Brexit is going to be a concern in people's minds. It should be as well because a hard Tory Brexit would have a very damaging effect on local government. It's right to not take an independence referendum off the table for that reason."

When asked whether voters in cities such as Glasgow will vote SNP in May because they want to see independence eventually, she said: "Yes, people will think about that."

Aitken added: "The message we are getting from people on the street is that they want to see a renewal of democracy in Glasgow and to transform the city of Glasgow. As part of this an SNP led Glasgow council would seek to help protect Glasgow from a hard Brexit .Glasgow voted Yes in 2014 and I don't think Glaswegians' support for independence has diminished."

Aitken suggested the SNP would resist going into coalition with the Tories in councils due to Davidson's party positioning itself as the uncompromising defenders of the Union.

She said: "The fight across Scotland nationally is one between the SNP and the Tories. That's where the political battle is now in Scotland. There will be situations where SNP groups look at forming alliances and coalitions. That's the reality of elections. But I'd think that SNP and Tory coalitions are increasingly less likely.

"I'm not saying it's not possible, but given the way politics are in Scotland now its's increasingly less likely. No SNP local campaign is going to be based on trying to engineer an SNP-Tory coalition."

However, Aitken claimed Labour would seek to make deals with Tories in local councils in order to cling onto power after a heavy defeat. Aitken said: “Our message is one of faith in the ability of communities across Scotland to determine their own future – and I’ll be standing to end the inertia that has characterised Glasgow City Chambers for too long.

“In contrast, Labour are so desperate to cling onto power they’re planning to pour their resources into areas they think they can form alliances with the Tories – and they’re so out of touch, their campaign launch was just a rehash of their manifesto that saw them slump to third place in Holyrood, with promises to raise tax on those on low incomes."

Aitken said the SNP could gain support due to Sturgeon's plan to prevent Scotland being pulled out of the Single Market, which allows for the free movement of people, good and services.

She said: "Ruth Davidson has completely abandoned her Remain belief from the EU referendum campaign and that will be something in voters' minds.

"People will be thinking about which party has put forward plans to protect Scotland from a hard Brexit and the SNP is prepared to do everything it can on this. Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Government are doing everything they can to protect Scotland from that and the impact it would have on local communities."

However, the Scottish Greens said the SNP should not assume former Labour voters in Glasgow will automatically switch to the party. Scottish Green co-convenor Patrick Harvie said: “I think we’ve shown that whenever and wherever Greens are elected, they tend to be effective people who get things done.

"That’s what we’ve seen in the Scottish Parliament, where the six MSPs have been constructively holding the government to account and gaining credible anti-poverty policy concessions."

But Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley, accused the SNP of "playing games". Rowley said: "Labour is not interested in doing deals. Labour is interested in standing up for local services. The SNP should stop playing games and stop the £327 million cuts in Derek Mackay's budget."