James Dornan is new Glasgow Leader of the Opposition

SNP councillors in Glasgow City Council today elected the new leader of the Opposition at their first group meeting since John Mason’s stunning victory in the Glasgow East by-election.

In a secret ballot using STV, Councillor Dornan was elected by a majority of votes on the 1st round of voting, after John Mason’s recent resignation as member for the Baillieston ward and SNP group leader following his July by-election win.

New Leader of the Opposition on Glasgow City Council, Councillor James Dornan said today: "I am deeply honoured to be chosen by my SNP Council colleagues to be the new SNP Group Leader. It is a great challenge, to follow in the experienced footsteps of John Mason, but one that I am prepared for.

"Since my election last year, I have been driven by the need to take forward the interests of my constituents and now, as Leader of the Opposition, I will be standing with renewed vigour to champion the interests and concerns of everyone in Glasgow.

"Labour can expect to be challenged at every opportunity to ensure that what they do for Glasgow is in Glasgow’s interests, not Labour’s self interest."

Former SNP Group Leader and now Glasgow East MP, John Mason said: "It gives me great satisfaction to congratulate Councillor Dornan on his election and I leave the SNP Group, after ten enjoyable years, in his capable hands. For the first time in recent memory, the people of Glasgow have a strong and capable opposition, able to scrutinise the council’s activity and hold Labour to account, as we recently saw in the school bus U-turn.

"Personally, I have now moved on to represent the East End in Westminster, but I will be working closely to serve both my constituents and working to elect an SNP Council in 2012.  If the current popularity of the Scottish Government and our by-election success is anything to go by, it will happen in the City Chambers too."

Notes:

1. The SNP Council Group elected Councillor James Dornan as its new Group Leader and Leader of the Opposition on Glasgow City Council at the first group meeting following John Mason’s election win as MP for Glasgow East.
   
2. Election for Group Leader is by secret ballot using the Single Transferable Vote. There were four candidates in total: Councillors James Dornan, Alex Dingwall, Allison Hunter and Grant Thoms. Councillor Dornan received the requisite majority of votes on the 1st round of counting.
   
3. Councillor James Dornan has been a member of Glasgow City Council for the Langside ward since May 2007.