THE Labour group is currently discussing whether or not it will take over at Clackmannanshire Council as a minority administration.

Its members have been gathering information and asking questions of officers, prior to deciding if it will seek a mandate to govern at the local authority.

After the full meeting held on Thursday, May 12, group leader Councillor Bobby McGill said they would be giving thought to taking on the role.

He told the Advertiser:"“We’re not going to have anything sprung on us like what they did today [Thursday] so we’re going to think about it.

"We have to think about are we prepared to take it on and who is going to take what position if we do.

"At this point and time my own personal feelings are that it would seem cowardly of us not to do it, even though I know we’re going into a bad place.

"The people out there deserve somebody to be standing up for them and we can’t just leave it how it is."

Cllr McGill also criticised the SNP group for the move saying he couldn’t believe why they were doing it, as they "weren’t challenging them for the position".

He said: "There’s nothing we put forward to these amendments to standing orders that made any great changes, other than hold the administration accountable.

"To ask questions of them, and they would have been given warning that questions were coming, they’d know what the questions are, they’d have plenty of time to explain to us.

"But what we didn’t want to be happening all the time is what we’ve got at the present time where an officer stands up, moves a paper – and that’s what officers do move papers – but when you ask questions they say well that’s political I can’t answer and when you turn to the politicians, standing orders doesn’t allow us to answer questions.

"So standing orders will now allow them to answer, that will include us now and that’s fine. We’re more than happy to answer questions.

"I’m just so angry with them for what they’ve done – they’ve let the people of Clackmannanshire down as far as I’m concerned. It’s a disgrace what they’ve done." 

He added: "It’s up to us to now decide what we’re going to do.

"It’s going to be very challenging for us but...someone’s got to pick up the baton and run with it because if we don’t where does it leave the people of Clackmannanshire? Where does it leave our staff and our officers?"

Meanwhile, Conservative councillor Alastair Campbell was also taken aback by how the meeting played out last week.

He said it came as a "complete surprise" and would go as far as to say he was quite "shocked by it".

The elected member, for Clackmannanshire East, has also refuted suggestions that he was teaming up with the Labour group.

He said there there has been no "coalition" in terms of voting and that "it’s down to what’s best for the people".

He said: "I will always vote in favour of what I think is in the interests of the people of Clackmannanshire.

"I read the papers from the meetings and I decide whether I think that’s a good idea and it doesn’t particularly bother me who puts the idea forward."