THE SNP have drawn up proposals to transform Edinburgh into a “modern European capital” – but a handful of parties are vying to realistically hold the balance of power after Thursday’s election.

The last council administration formed after the 2017 council election saw the SNP, then the biggest party, form a coalition with Labour. With a handful of SNP councillors walking out on the party in protest over the leadership, the administration was forced to carry on as a minority coalition – often helped by the Scottish Greens on specific policy issues.

But Labour leader Anas Sarwar has insisted that his party will no longer be able to form official arrangements with other parties – and with Labour only standing 20 candidates in the city, the party looks unlikely to continue being part of the ruling administration, at least formally.

The Conservatives, the biggest single party in the capital ahead of the election, could face a tough battle to fend off criticism for the partygate scandal and maintain the impressive performance in 2017 under Ruth Davidson’s leadership.

The LibDems are hopeful of taking votes away from the Conservatives, potentially capitalising on the partygate impact and possibly winning over unionist support from Labour voters fed up with their role in the council administration.

The SNP has drawn up a manifesto of radical policies if the party forms the next administration including charging commuters from driving into the city at peak times, extending the city’s tram line further in the north and south of the city and rolling out a tourist tax if the powers are handed over from the Scottish Government.

Adam McVey, the current SNP council leader, said that “all of these things are normal in the continent”.

He added: “A well-designed mass-transit system along with well-designed high-quality cycle lanes connecting everything else are normal if we look at cities that are doing it well across our continent.“The tourist tax is normal right across the continent. When we go to Copenhagen and we go to Berlin and we see aspects working well, we want to emulate it.

“Our vision of Edinburgh is that modern, European capital that joins the pantheon of great cities that people visit. Our manifesto gives us a roadmap to do that.”

But the SNP-Labour coalition has faced criticism, particularly during the pandemic, for implementing its controversial Spaces for People scheme that put in place temporary plans for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure – while opponents have complained over what they say is a lack of focus on basic services like bins, street cleanliness and potholes.

But Mr McVey has claimed that “it’s no secret that Covid has caused a big impact on our capacity to address all these things”.

He added that the SNP is the only party ”putting a financial commitment to what we’ll deliver” on key services, accusing his opponents of having “nothing to say on how to improve it”.

But the Conservatives have suggested the SNP-Labour coalition have focused on the wrong priorities – insisting the public want a change in direction.

The party’s group leader, Iain Whyte, said: “The SNP-Labour coalition have been utterly focused on strategies and pie-in-the-sky policies but they can’t get the basics right – they are not cleaning the streets, they are not picking up rubbish, they are not fixing the potholes, and people want change.

“They are determined to push ahead with two new tram extensions, despite the current one not being finished and having a £9m funding gap. It’s pie-in-the-sky stuff and there’s no strategy for how they plan to pay for it.”

He added that the SNP is “willing to tax people further when the public need help to pay the bills” with their plans to introduce a workplace parking levy, commuter charge and tourist tax”.

But Mr Whyte played down the impact of the partygate situation on the Tories’ chances in the election.

Asked if it had been an issue on the doorstep, he said: “A bit.”

He added that any anger relating to partygate has been “mostly from people from other parties who would not vote for the Conservatives anyway”.

“Other than that, maybe one or two out of 100 people are raising it.”

The LibDems are hoping to capitalise on the scandal, aiming to boost their current six councillors into double figures by taking support from the Conservatives.

LibDem councillor Kevin Lang said: “We are feeling optimistic about growing significantly in this election.

“We have seen that this is a deeply unpopular SNP and Labour administration that has failed in a whole raft of areas and people in Edinburgh are desperately seeking change.

“People are more and more turning to the Liberal Democrats for an alternative.”

A Labour source said that things "look positive" for the party.

They added: "The Tories looks set to lose seats, and the parties are fighting over who gets them."

Labour group leader Cammy Day could not be reached for comment.