Labour loses majority on Glasgow City Council Published duration 14 March 2012

image caption Labour now has 39 councillors while there are 40 in opposition

Labour has officially lost its overall majority on Glasgow City Council after a councillor suspended from the Labour group resigned from the party.

Shaukat Butt was suspended last year after he was charged with assault. The case has still to come to court.

Mr Butt wants to stand for the council again in May as an independent but had to resign from Labour to do this.

But he insisted he would still vote with Labour and wanted to see the party remain in control of the city.

Labour now has 39 out of 79 councillors but can count on 40 votes once Mr Butt is included.

Six other Labour councillors who had been de-selected as candidates had earlier resigned from the party.

Party suspension

Councillor Butt, who represents Govan, said: "I was very disappointed personally not to be able to stand as a Labour candidate in the election.

"I want to be a councillor and so that means I have to stand as an independent in the elections and know that means I am not allowed to formally stay part of the Labour group.

"If I am elected, I will be voting with Labour on the council so we can put the people of this city first."

A spokesman for Scottish Labour said: "Mr Butt was suspended from the party last September after being charged with assaulting his wife.

"The court case has not been heard, so Mr Butt remains suspended and cannot stand as a Labour candidate.