ANOTHER Labour councillor in Glasgow has quit and will fight May's local government elections under the banner of the new party set up by rebel colleagues.
Veteran Ellen Hurcombe's resignation means the opposition on the council now has 41 members against Labour's 38.
The decision by Shaukat Butt to leave Labour a fortnight ago led to the party losing its majority in Glasgow for the first time since the late 1970s.
Mrs Hurcombe's decision came as a surprise to former colleagues, many of whom believed she was suffering from ill health and would not want to stand again.
She was one of about 20 Labour councillors axed in a clear-out last autumn in the face of the most serious threat to the party's grip on Glasgow for generations, with the SNP considered a realistic prospect to be part of the next administration in the city after May's poll.
However, The Herald understands some in Labour have told Mrs Hurcombe a door will be kept open for her if she is re-elected.
It would throw open the bizarre situation where long-standing ex-Labour councillors stand against their former party with an eye on rejoining it if elected under a rival's banner.
A spokesman for the Labour Party in Glasgow said: "We wish Ellen all the best for the future, but Glasgow Labour is now taking its case to the people on May 3."
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