GLASGOW has formally decided to join forces with three other Scots councils in a bid to fight their corners.

In March last year, the city council quit the local government umbrella body Cosla claiming it was not representing the views of all local authorities.

It has now agreed to join up with Renfrewshire, South Lanarkshire and Aberdeen councils to form the Scottish Local Government Partnership.

The new organisation will provide a voice and representation for its members at a national level on priority issues.

It will also get involved in collective bargaining on pay and terms and conditions for employees of the four councils.

Together they have almost 25% of the total Scottish population, almost half of the country's black and ethnic minority population, create 47% of Scotland's economic output, have almost one third of Scottish jobs and a fifth of all council employees.

Labour business manager James Adams said in a report: "The expertise and potential influence of the Partnership is considerable.

"Its members are pivotal in driving economic growth, job creation and tackling poverty and inequality not just in their council areas but across Scotland as a whole."

City council leader Gordon Matheson said: "The Partnership is an exciting new start for local government in Scotland.

"In the future it will simply not be possible to speak to local government without including us as an equal partner and we have already started meeting with Scotland's trade unions as we prepare for our role in national collective bargaining.

"I am looking forward to working with the Scottish and UK governments, the trade unions, other councils and civic Scotland.

"Working in partnership, we will enhance the role of local government and help to grow Scotland's economy and the communities we all serve."

SNP group leader Susan Aitken described the decision as political game playing.

She said: "Glasgow's Labour leadership have ripped Glasgow out of Scotland's local government body to join a Labour club of four.

"Councillors Matheson and Adams were unable to give any indication of how the new body will address what they claim is their biggest concern - the local government funding allocation formula.

"Right now it looks as though their solution will resemble something like an old-fashioned wedding scramble.

"We have no objection to Councillor Matheson complaining about the way he thinks Glasgow is treated by COSLA or the Scottish Government. That is part of the democratic discourse.

"I do think, though, he'd be better off doing that over lunch with the other three Labour council leaders, rather than dragging Scotland's largest city into a COSLA-Lite arrangement that offers no tangible benefit for the people of Glasgow."