LABOUR swept back into power at Renfrewshire Council, defeating an SNP-Liberal Democrat coalition to secure a majority.
The party's local leader said it was a "ringing endorsement" of everything Labour had done in opposition during a period which saw them lock horns with the SNP over a host of local issues. Voters had been swayed by perceived cuts to services such as school bus runs and had reacted badly to price hikes for council services, Labour claimed.
A botched plan to cut class time for teachers, which prompted protests from parents, also appeared to have hurt the SNP.
Iain McMillan, current leader of the Labour group, said: "We are absolutely delighted. I think it's a ringing endorsement of everything we've done as an opposition in the past five years. We have been attacking SNP cuts and the hiking of charges, while our manifesto put forward positive policies. We were determined to get this council back under Labour and we've done it."
Deputy leader Mark Macmillan added: "Over the past five years, we have listened to the people of Renfrewshire, and put their wishes first in this campaign. We're delighted to have been given their backing."
The leader of the SNP in Renfrewshire, Brian Lawson, said Labour had made promises in opposition that it was going to find "difficult to deliver on".
He added: "I don't think the system helped us. We had most first preference votes in one ward but only returned one of the three seats. I'm disappointed but life goes on. The Tories have been in power down south for a while, and clearly that helps Labour."
Across Renfrewshire there were 22 Labour councillors returned, a gain of three, while the SNP took 15, down one.
The LibDems, the king-makers in the last coalition, suffered, dropping from three councillors to one. One independent was also returned, ex-Labour councillor, Paul Mack.
The turnout was 42.54%.
Renfrewshire Labour are now expected to hold talks on who will be their leader at an AGM to be held on Monday.
Councillor McMillan declined to comment on whether he would be putting himself forward, or who the other candidates may be.
