By Brian Allison, local government reporter

TWO WEEKS after the new Dundee City Council was elected the next administration is still not finalised.

It is looking increasingly likely that the SNP group will not be able to emulate its Holyrood colleagues by taking power as the largest single party, albeit without an overall majority.

The nationalists have stated their intention to try to form a minority administration with 13 of the 29 council members. Labour and the Liberal Democrats, who have 10 and two councillors respectively, have agreed to work in coalition but need more support to outvote the SNP.

The three-man Tory group has already said it will not work with the SNP, which means the nationalists could not command a majority on the council even if supported by independent member Ian Borthwick.

However, the Tories have not yet announced whether they are prepared to back the Labour-Lib Dem coalition, as they did in the last council administration.

Mr Borthwick has made it clear he intends to remain independent but has said the SNP, as they are the largest party, should be given the chance to form an administration.

Should the Tories decide not to support the coalition and leave the SNP and the combined Labour and Lib Dem groups to fight it out for control of the council then Mr Borthwick’s vote would be crucial.

The statutory meeting of the council, at which the new administration will be determined, is due to take place on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile Mr Borthwick renewed his attack on Labour and the Lib Dems, asking if substantial salary increases for the top jobs “might have provided the necessary impetus for them to forego their principles.”

Mr Borthwick claimed the important fact to keep in mind was that Labour failed to command the first preference vote in six out of Dundee’s eight council wards.

He said, “I think back to some of the Labour leaders and senior councillors I served with who would never have countenanced the kind of deal apparently being brokered between Labour, the Lib Dems and the Tories.”

Mr Borthwick said the fund from which councillors’ salaries will be paid had been greatly enhanced with the administration leader standing to make £30,905 and senior councillors expected to earn up to £23,179.

He added, “We have all heard of the rainbow coalition and what’s at the end of the rainbow? A pot of gold.

“The boundaries of political integrity and moral authority have become blurred as a direct consequence of payments and allowances for councillors becoming an increasing feature in local government.”