THERE WILL be at least 11 new conveners, not counting those who might be replaced through internal political bargaining, though not all will come on to the management side of the Scottish Joint Negotiating Committee.
Allied to changes in control in a number of councils, this leaves the management side relatively inexperienced. Some of those who have gone are barely household names, but the absence of Elizabeth Maginnis and Ross Martin from the leadership of the authorities could be crucial.
Mrs Maginnis, Edinburgh’s former education convener, decided to seek another portfolio and Mr Martin, West Lothian’s former convener, left to pursue his unsuccessful parliamentary bid to wrest the Falkirk West seat from Dennis Canavan.
Among the conveners defeated at the polls were Margo Howe in Moray where the SNP lost control, Mike McCarron in East Dunbartonshire which has gone from a Labour to a hung council, Janet Law in Perth and Kinross where the SNP also failed to hold on to power, Iain Macdonald in Orkney and Roderick Macdonald in the Western Isles.
Education conveners who did not stand in the elections were Joan Orskov in Aberdeenshire, Val MacIver in Highland and Tom Morris in North Ayrshire. Elaine Murray in South Ayrshire stepped down and is the new Labour MSP for Dumfries.
Five of those represented the management on the SJNC - Mrs Maginnis, Mrs MacIver, Mrs Law, Roderick Macdonald and Mrs Orskov.