The SNP led coalition on the Highland Council has broken down after the Liberal Democrat councillors walked out, saying they were finding it too difficult to work with the SNP.
Despite independent councillors being in a majority, the SNP formed the ruling administration with Lib Dems and Labour in 2012. Now talks are ongoing between the different groups to see who will be able to work together to form a new administration.
Lib Dem group leader David Alston said that after the General Election there was something of a "political mono-culture" in Scotland and that some more "wild flowers" were needed to speak out and hold the SNP Scottish Government to account. But the SNP group had failed to do this over issues such as the use of armed police in routine duties and NHS funding.
He said the Highland Council needed people prepared to put their head above the parapet, "to engage in debate and not simply accept everything is a party line."
The LibDems are talking to the Independents, but so are the SNP.
The new SNP group leader Maxine Smith, took over from Drew Hendry who beat Lib Dem Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander in his Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey seat. She said the SNP had provided the council leadership through difficult financial times, working with other groups to protect council services and oppose Westminster's austerity agenda.
She said the SNP too had started talks with other groups in an attempt to establish a new administration that would be "stable and progressive."
As things stand the council composition is: Independent 34, SNP 21, Liberal Democrat 11, Labour 8, Highland Alliance five , Non-aligned one.
Three sitting Lib Dem MPs in the Highland Council area were replaced by the SNP at the election.
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