Borders SNP activists force through deal for national party to work with Tories

The 'twilight zone' moves to Scotland for a new episode, featuring the SNP deal to work with the Scottish Tories, formally at local government level, but extending as most of us already know, into national politics ...

Borders SNP members and a few within the SNP at Holyrood will have to eat some humble pie after notorious attacks on Conservative Councilors helping to conceal multi million pound frauds within Scottish Borders Council ...

Ironically, the proposal was put through by SNP activists from the Borders, one of whose number resigned from the party just to become leader of the local regional authority ... and was heavily attacked by Christine Grahame MSP for doing so at the time.

Anything for power these days ?

SNP approves working with Tories

The SNP's long-running ban on working with the Conservatives has been overturned at local government level.

The party's national council backed a proposal put forward by councillors which allows them to form coalition deals with other parties.

Co-operation with the Tories was banned during Margaret Thatcher's government.

The decision does not pave the way for a coalition deal at Holyrood, but allows the parties to work together in local authorities.

The SNP proposal does not mention the Conservatives specifically, but proposes co-operation with any group or individual, subject to approval from the party's national executive committee.

'Practical politics'

It comes after the introduction of proportional representation in the May council elections, meaning many authorities no longer have one party in overall control.

The move has been described by one SNP councillor as "practical politics".

The national council also backed an amendment which said "current party policy as it applies to parliamentary coalitions should not be changed".

An SNP spokesman said: "The motion as amended simply reflects the realities of Scottish local government post the introduction of the single transferable vote.

"It doesn't apply to national politics and the parliament, where we are absolutely delighted with the success of the minority SNP Government and we have no plans to change that."