THE SNP group have pledged a quick return to stability after being handed the keys to power at Clackmannanshire Council.

Labour sensationally walked out last week, as they failed to garner enough support to reverse their own policy on compulsory redundancies.

And despite the SNP group tendering its own resignation from the administration last May, they are likely to once again take the helm at Kilncraigs.

Councillor Ellen Forson told the Advertiser: “We’re hoping that within the next two or three weeks, at the soonest possibility opportunity, we will be presenting a revised budget.

“There’s a council meeting on March 9, and it would be our intention to put forward our administration then, and then bring forward the budget thereafter.

“Unlike what happened when the administration changed the last time, we do have a clear plan in place already. There won’t be any waiting about.

“I think the most important thing is that people can be reassured that services are being delivered. The business of the council is still continuing.”

Cllr Archie Drummond added: “Ideally, we would want to set a new budget by the start of the new financial year – and we will do that.

“We have already told officers that we do not want a stick and plaster fix; we don’t just want to get a budget through.

“But we’re not starting from scratch – we’re starting from where we left off. It’s the gap in between that’s the problem.”

The SNP came under fire when they resigned from the council nine months ago, but councillors are confident they can regain the confidence of the public.

Cllr Forson added: “Everything we do as councillors is for the benefit of Clackmannanshire and our communities; we’re not making rash decisions without thinking about the people they are going to impact upon.”

When asked about the SNP reclaiming trust, Cllr Drummond said: “We think we deserve it, because of what we have done in the longer and medium term and what we’re going to do now.

“The public, yes, will see squabbling. And we are conscious of the fact that all these ups and downs are not good for Clackmannanshire’s reputation.

“But I live in Clackmannanshire and I care about what happens here – for the last four years we have been delivering on a plan because we want to maintain consistent services.”

The SNP are likely to return to their former programme Making Clackmannanshire Better (MCB) in order to reduce expenditure.

And councillors have insisted that no council employee will be forced out the door against their will.

Cllr Forson said: “For the last five years, we’ve been consistent: We do not believe in a policy of compulsory redundancies. And up until two weeks ago that was policy of Clackmannanshire Council.

“There are other ways forward – MCB offered that and we’ve been in talks with officers to bring some of these measures back into play.”

Last Thursday, the SNP could well have supported the amendment put forth by Graham Watt’s Labour administration, and therefore reversed the council’s current policy of allowing for compulsory redundancies.

However, they said there were too many unanswered questions regarding the paper and wanted the budget debate postponed.

They also said they had been prepared to submit five amendments on the day, but proceedings collapsed before then.

Cllr Drummond said: “At the end of the day, we could not support something that as far as we were aware, didn’t make a lot of sense. We didn’t have time to consult with finance officers and so, in our view, that would have been folly.”