Watters is re-elected as Cosla president

5 Jul 07
Labour has retained the presidency of Scotland's local government association, despite the loss of seats to the Scottish National Party in May's Holyrood elections.

06 July 2007

Labour has retained the presidency of Scotland's local government association, despite the loss of seats to the Scottish National Party in May's Holyrood elections.

Pat Watters, a Labour councillor for South Lanarkshire, who has held the post of president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities since 2001, was re-elected by 71 votes to 52 at a Cosla meeting on June 29 defeating the SNP candidate, Rob Murray, of Angus Council.

He is the first Cosla president to have been elected for a third term. Murray was elected to one of four vice-president posts.

Watters' success is partly the result of cross-party support. He has gained the reputation of building a consensus within the organisation, putting local government before party politics.

After his election he called on members to 'look beyond our political horizons and at the bigger picture of progressing Scottish local government'.

Although the SNP won more councillors than Labour in the local elections, Cosla's political make-up is influenced by the nomination of council members, whose seats are allocated on a population basis.

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