Edinburgh Council SNP leader Adam McVey needs to stop griping about his fall from power – Steve Cardownie

It’s only been three months since the local government elections but there are already some councillors who are predicting that Councillor Cammy Day’s time as council leader will be measured in months rather than years.

Edinburgh Council's former leader Adam McVey

With only 13 out of a total of 63 councillors, his Labour group has their work cut out for them if they are to make a fist of running the city. But are these predictions born out of political acumen or wishful thinking?

The claim by the SNP group that the Tories are part of a coalition by virtue of them being handed two minor, non-political roles hardly holds much water, particularly if you take former councillor and fellow Evening News columnist John McLellan’s version of events into account.

He wrote in his column last week that the leader of the SNP group, Adam McVey, made an approach to the Tories after the election saying that a deal was possible and that “he offered to make a Conservative councillor Deputy Lord Provost, a purely ceremonial role but that Councillor Jo Mowat could also continue as convenor of the governance committee, a key audit function traditionally filled from the biggest opposition party.”

If true, and I have no reason to doubt it, it makes a mockery of Councillor McVey’s claim that “we won’t sign up to anything delivering power to the Tories”.

When referring to the positions offered to the Tories, Councillor Day said: “We had to give some positions… but they are quasi-judicial vice-convenor type roles, they have no politics.”

Given our proportional representation system in local government elections, it stands to reason that in Edinburgh deals may have to be struck, as no one political party will command an outright majority of councillors.

I do not find fault with Councillor McVey’s approach to the Tories as he fought to keep his party in control of the administration – along with himself as leader of course – but I find it a tad tiresome and hypocritical that he has been lambasting other groups for doing what he would have done himself if he could.

Time to let it be Adam!