The leader of South Lanarkshire Council said he was reconsidering rejoining the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) after it broke away last year.

South Lanarkshire was one of four councils to break away from COSLA and form the Scottish Local Government Partnership (SLGP) in a row over funding settlements.

Cllr Eddie McAvoy said there ‘may be merit’ in the local authority ‘reconsidering’ its membership of the local government body.

Representatives from the SLGP met with Scottish communities secretary, Angela Constance, and local government minister Kevin Stewart last week, after calling for direct talks about finance.

‘When South Lanarkshire left COSLA, we made it clear that we believed changes were necessary,’ said Cllr McAvoy.

‘Since then, we have worked well with our colleagues in the SLGP and we have made significant progress in ensuring that the voice of local government is heard, especially with regard to how government policies impact on our residents.

‘However, at the meeting I told Cllr O’Neill that if these changes to COSLA are progressed, there may be merit in the council reconsidering its membership of COSLA, but this would be a decision for the council following the election.’

Photo: ©Stephen Sweeney