The Angus councillor primed to become leader at Tuesday’s meeting of Angus Council has dismissed the SNP group’s hopes of keeping power in the county.
Brechin and Edzell Independent councillor Bob Myles has compared the SNP’s bid to retain control of Angus Council to the party’s “economic claims for independence”.
He said: “The numbers don’t add up”.
Mr Myles, who previously led the council between 2007 and 2012, was responding to comments made by SNP councillors Bill Duff and Lynne Devine in which they expressed their hopes they could still form the next administration.
The SNP won nine seats at the local elections earlier this month. Independents took nine seats, the Conservatives won eight posts and the Liberal Democrats hold two positions.
Mr Duff described the situation as “fluid” and said there were a “whole plethora of Independents who are moving, shifting, swirling.”
Responding yesterday Mr Myles said: “The comment I would make about the SNP claims in Saturday’s paper is it’s like their economic claims for independence — they don’t add up.
“We are very confident that people want a change and people want to come on board and work with us to deliver what’s best for Angus.”
A group of Conservatives and Independents held a meeting on Monday night to finalise the convener and vice convener posts and ascertain which councillors were interested in certain committees.
There is agreement in this group that Mr Myles will be leader and Kirriemuir Conservative councillor Ronnie Proctor will be provost, with Arbroath West, Letham & Friockheim Independent David Fairweather as depute leader and Forfar Independent Colin Brown as depute provost.
The Liberal Democrats held a meeting with the SNP on Sunday afternoon, presenting a shopping list of demands.
Forfar councillor Ms Devine, who is leading the negotiations with Mr Duff on behalf of the SNP group, said they had responded verbally and in writing to the two Liberal Democrat councillors, Richard Moore and Ben Lawrie.
She said: “We had a long chat with the Lib Dems. They put their pitch to us. We responded verbally and then later in writing. We have heard nothing back from them.
“We were answering some of their shopping list. Some of it was things that were in place already and other bits we wanted to confirm what we said at the meeting.
“There are other talks going on all the time.
“I think the ball is in the court of the Lib Dems. We’ll have to wait and see.
“It’s a pity that the meeting is quite so early.
“There could be discussions right up to the meeting.”
If there is a tie in votes between two candidates for provost at today’s meeting then a decision will be made by cutting a pack of cards.
