Elections to Scotland’s local authorities take place in May this year. Since 2007, SNP candidates have been elected in 20 of the 47 local by-elections, more than for any other party and in the last 12 months the SNP has won nine local authority by-elections. In contrast Labour have won only three with the Lib Dems on one seat. The Tories have secured only one by-election win in the last four years.

Since 2007, the SNP has moved into the leadership of Dundee and Stirling Councils and become the lead partner in the administration of Aberdeen City Council. Today, after a no-confidence vote in the Labour administration on Clackmannanshire Council, the SNP  have taken on the leadership there too.

Last week, all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities confirmed in principle that they would accept the Scottish Government’s funding settlement – which will keep council tax frozen, protect teacher numbers, and maintain the 1,000 additional police officers delivered by the SNP Government.

In Dundee, the SNP team of Councillors and Council Candidates has been working to ensure  that the party makes gains to retain control of Dundee City Council and safeguard the service improvements made since taking power in March 2009.

Commenting, SNP  Councillor Stewart Hunter, who represents Strathmartine Ward on Dundee City Council and is the Council’s Deputy Education Convenor, said: “The SNP goes into the Local Council elections in May with a strong record and growing support across the city.

“Dundee City Council is working hard to keep the city’s regeneration on track and bring hundreds of new green jobs. What we are trying to achieve is no less that the re-industrialisation of Dundee.

“All 32 of Scotland’s local authorities have confirmed acceptance of the SNP Government’s funding settlement – which will keep the council tax frozen and protect teacher numbers and the 1,000 additional police officers delivered by the SNP, despite the biggest ever cut in funding from the UK Government.  It is this record of delivery which SNP candidates will stand on in May.

“The SNP has a strong track record of easing the burden on local people with our council tax freeze, constructing new schools, a new leisure centre and new council houses and expanding access to free school meals.

“The choice for Dundee’s voters will be to move forwards with an SNP-led Council which is working hard with the SNP Scottish Government and key partners to deliver better services or to go backwards to the bad old days of Labour-Tory coalitions which hiked the Council tax every year and had no vision, no enthusiasm or new ideas.

“The SNP are moving Dundee forward.”