The SNP took control of Dundee City Council last night, denying Labour a role in the running of the city for the first time in generations.

The SNP took control of Dundee City Council last night, denying Labour a role in the running of the city for the first time in generations.

With 14 of the city's 29 councillors following a recent by-election victory against Labour, the Nationalists remained one seat short of a controlling majority until last week's defection of the Lord Provost.

First Minister Alex Salmond said: "Dundee City Council has voted for a fresh start and a better future with the SNP. The Maryfield by-election gain from Labour pointed the way, and the new administration confirms the SNP's leading role in delivering excellent public services in local communities in partnership with the Scottish Government."

Lord Provost John Letford quit Labour after half a century in the party and agreed to sit as an independent backing the SNP. The change of control was confirmed at a special meeting last night.

Councillor Ken Guild, SNP group leader, said his administration would focus on steering the city through the economic downturn, and pledged to continue the authority's no-redundancy policy.

He added: "We will concentrate on trying to attract more jobs to the city and we will be looking long and hard at some of the performance areas in various departments of the council and hope to bring forward suggestions for improvements."

Councillor Guild said an SNP administration was an opportunity for "a fresh start for the city with a new and open approach to politics", adding: "We have begun that process by being inclusive of those of other parties and of no party in the civic leadership and non-political convenerships of the council.

"We intend to continue that approach by changing the culture of the council to one of openness and transparency in the way the council does its business."

The previous Labour- LibDem administration operated with Tory support to control the council and deny the SNP any say in its running.

This was given as one of the Lord Provost's reasons for quitting Labour and sitting as an independent to back the SNP. He argued that it was anti-democratic for the other parties to deny convenerships to the party that had won the popular vote in the city.

He also ignited a row by claiming that Labour had in the past asked him to step down as Lord Provost to make way for the deputy offering him the inducement of an OBE.

Both Labour leader Kevin Keenan and the depute Lord Provost denied this claim but the effect was to entrench positions.