What next for Edinburgh council after Cammy Day's resignation?

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Edinburgh council is in a state of shock.

Already reeling from the dramatic and embarrassing resignation of a new councillor just a week after she was elected and facing a double by-election in that ward early in the new year, it has now been rocked by the departure of council leader Cammy Day amid a police investigation into allegations of "inappropriate behaviour".

Edinburgh's Labour administration now has just 10 out of the 63 seats on the councilEdinburgh's Labour administration now has just 10 out of the 63 seats on the council
Edinburgh's Labour administration now has just 10 out of the 63 seats on the council | Getty Images/iStockphoto

Cllr Day's resignation became inevitable once the story became major news, Scottish Labour suspended him and all the opposition parties demanded that he go. But what happens now?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The next full council meeting on December 19 will be asked to elect a new council leader - but that's not a straightforward matter.

Finance convener Mandy Watt, Labour councillor for Morningside has already replaced Cllr Day as Labour group leader because she held the deputy post. A Labour source said the presumption was she would become the next council leader.

But an insider in one of the other parties said Cllr Watt needed to come out strongly and show she was the best person for the job. "She has a lot of work to do to demonstrate she has got the right vision to step up and be leader of the council."

The SNP, which is the biggest party on the council, will see an opportunity to take power in coalition with the Greens - the plan that was thwarted when Cllr Day secured Lib Dem and Tory support to form his minority administration in 2022.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But there is also the possibility of the Lib Dems, the second biggest group, staking a claim. There was speculation about such a move after the party won the Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election last month, taking a seat from Labour.

That came to a sudden end when it was revealed that the victor Louise Spence, whose campaign had focused on the fact she lived in the ward, was selling her house and planning to move to Dubai, where her husband had got a new job. Instead of taking control, the Lib Dems had to take cover and Ms Spence had to quit. But now such a power bid could be back on the table.

But the question of who becomes next council leader depends on the arithmetic. Will the 13-strong Lib Dems and nine Tories be willing to back Labour, who now have just 10 out of the council's 63 seats? If the Lib Dems challenge, would Labour back them rather than risk letting the SNP in? Or could the 17-strong SNP and 10-strong Greens manage to take control this time?

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.

News you can trust since 1873
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice