THE SNP group leader in West Dunbartonshire Council has admitted that his party is prepared to go it alone as a minority administration.

Councillor Jonathan McColl and his team won 10 seats during this month's council elections but it was not enough to take overall control of the 22-seat local authority.

And, despite speculation that the Nationalists could form a pact with the eight Scottish Labour councillors to form the new administration, Cllr McColl would appear to have dismissed that option ahead of Wednesday's statutory meeting of the full council.

As a result it looks increasingly likely that the SNP group will now forge ahead as a minority administration.

Cllr McColl told the Reporter: "Following the SNP group’s AGM, we have strong and competent individuals ready to take on the various lead roles in the Council.

"And while open discussions with others continue, it is still our intention to seek approval from Council on Wednesday evening to form a minority Administration.

"As a minority administration we will work to find consensus across the Council, especially on key strategic issues such as education, housing and economic development.

"Every councillor elected by their community has the right to express their views in the chamber, and we will ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.

"We will work to protect our constituents and staff from the worst effects of austerity and the council’s policies will reflect the expressed wishes of the communities who elected us."

West Dunbartonshire's Labour group leader Martin Rooney, though, claimed that the SNP were "more interested in being in office than being in power" and accused them of 'trying to stand of the shoulders of the local Labour group's achievements.'

Lomond Councillor Martin Rooney said: "With 10 councillors elected, the SNP are clearly in the driving seat and there is an expectation that they will form the next council administration.

"They may have the numbers but they don't have the capacity to lead and have already rejected a power-sharing deal with Independent councillor Denis Agnew, which demonstrates that they are more interested in being in office than being in power.

"However, running the council as a minority administration will actually suit the SNP as they will be able to take credit for all of Labour's regeneration initiatives and achievements - opening new schools, care homes and public building - and at the same time they will be able to shirk their responsibilities and pass the blame for all of their failings to everyone else.

"After all, that's exactly what they did in their previous five years of administration, where their only real achievement was to build a new £1 million bowling club in Dumbarton."

In other news the new office bearers following the West Dunbartonshire SNP group's AGM are as follows: Group Leader – Jonathan McColl (re-elected), Depute Group Leader – Caroline McAllister, Group Convener - Jim Finn (re-elected), Press and Social Media Officer – Iain McLaren.