A cut of the cards would have decided Angus Council power if the warring chamber had been equally split in this week’s shock no confidence vote.
A 13-strong, Tory-dominated coalition now controls the council after the coup which saw the SNP administration dumped midway through their term of office.
SNP defector George Meechan will assume the £50,000-a-year leader’s role.
It is less than a fortnight since his formal resignation from the now deposed ruling group after a fallout with former colleagues.
Even by the standards of previous political machinations which have characterised Angus Council, the latest turn of events has taken many by surprise.
Powerbrokers in bid to overthrow SNP
Ahead of the showdown meeting, The Courier considered who might hold the aces in any deal to get a new administration across the line.
It hinged on three Independent members – Carnoustie councillor Brian Boyd, Arbroath East and Lunan figure Lois Speed and Arbroath West and Letham member Serena Cowdy.
Mr Boyd backed the SNP, while Ms Speed supported the rebel group.
Ms Cowdy was the only figure in the 28-member council to register a ‘no vote’ in the 14-13 outcome.
She, too, is a former SNP councillor but resigned from the party in 2024 over a number of issues.
Her ‘no vote’ did not, therefore, decide the outcome of the battle for supremacy in the Forfar chamber.
Had she backed an administration she was previously part of, it would have tied the vote at 14-14.
And council rules dictate the outcome would have been decided by a cut of the cards, not the casting vote of SNP Provost Linda Clark who chaired the meeting.
However, Ms Cowdy said she could not support either of the factions fighting for council control.
‘No vote’ decision not taken lightly
“I understand that, as elected members, we are paid to take difficult decisions,” she said.
“Registering a ‘no vote’ is not something I do lightly, and I don’t believe I have ever done it before.
“However, the question asked at the meeting was whether I had confidence in either of the administrations proposed to me.
“For a number of different reasons, I reluctantly concluded that I did not, and so I felt the right thing for me to do was to register a ‘no vote’ on this occasion.”
Ms Cowdy added: “This was a difficult decision for me to take, and one that I understand will disappoint and anger some people.
“I take responsibility for that.
“I can only assure my constituents that my focus – as a non-aligned, independent councillor – continues to be solely on them.”
She said: “I will continue to work as hard as I can to improve the lives of those in my ward, and in the rest of Angus.”
Another special meeting of the council will be called to decide who will become the £32,500-a-year Provost of Angus and other committee convener roles.
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