Edinburgh council elections: Labour leader Cammy Day's offer of Rainbow coalition talks smacks of desperation – John McLellan

What a statesman. Even before votes have been cast, Edinburgh’s Labour group leader Cammy Day has invited other group leaders to talks about forming a so-called “Rainbow” coalition.

Edinburgh Council's Labour group leader Cammy Day has suggested talks about forming a coalition with other parties

Apart from no-one knowing who will be returned after tomorrow, including him, it takes some cheek to write about councillors having “never truly adapted to the reality” of the proportional representation system when he rejected the same proposal from the Conservative group in 2017.

And some of his group colleagues might find it somewhat presumptuous when Labour insiders have indicated that his leadership could face a challenge.

“Rather than deals behind the scenes, let’s have a frank discussion,” he writes, offering, er, a deal behind the scenes on a Saturday afternoon.

“Good ideas get ignored because they come from the wrong quarter,” he wrote. Well sure, and Councillor Day has played an enthusiastic part in making sure that has continued to happen, including any accommodation with Conservative suggestions.

It all smacks of desperation to rescue something for him, having shored up a coalition with the SNP against the wishes of many members and facing the reality that senior figures have believed for some time that the SNP group is toxic and called time on such cosy arrangements.

The arithmetic makes it impossible to predict who will be in position to make overtures to whom come Friday afternoon, but rest assured that if it’s down to Councillor Day, his own interests won’t be far behind those of the city. And that’s being charitable.

John McLellan is standing down as a Conservative councillor