A senior Glasgow SNP councillor has defected to the Liberal Democrats.
Alex Dingwall, the SNP finance spokesman at the council and a member of the party for 31 years, cleared his desk in the party’s offices yesterday.
His departure leaves the SNP with 21 councillors and increases the LibDems’ presence on the council to six.
He said: “I believe that Glasgow needs a change in how our city is run and a party that sets out a clear, credible alternative to the Labour administration.
“Regrettably, over the last year, it has become clear to me that the Glasgow SNP council group lacks both the leadership and the authority to set out an alternative vision for our city.
“After 31 years of membership with the SNP, the decision to leave has not been an easy one, but the recent threats to take away control of schools and care for the elderly from local authorities show the SNP simply doesn’t trust its councillors, preferring instead to govern local communities by ministerial decree.”
Alex Dingwall
