THE first meeting of the full council after the General Election could have been a bad tempered affair given Labour's virtual wipeout in Scotland.

But for once, the two major parties decided to act like grown-ups for most of the time and accept the views of the electorate.

The one exception was SNP councillor Feargal Dalton whose attempt to dig up the members of the ruling Labour group was quickly slapped down by Lord Provost Sadie Docherty.

To give him his due, he accepted the rebuke and swiftly changed subject.

Otherwise, councillors from all parties were in a mood to co-operate with their political enemies prompting one council insider to describe the meeting as "weird".

Labour education spokesman Stephen Curran seconded a motion put forward by Green councillor Martin Bartos.

And SNP group leader Susan Aitken seconded a motion raised by Labour councillor Jim Coleman.

Such civilised behaviour may not seem out of the ordinary to most people but remember these are politicians.

The spirit of courtesy continued when SNP councillors Martin Docherty and Alison Thewliss revealed it would be their last meeting of the city council.

They have been elected to Westminster and intend to concentrate on their new jobs as MPs.

The announcement prompted city council and Labour group leader Gordon Matheson to wish them well in their new roles with the hope they could work constructively in the future in Glasgow's best interests.

It really was all very chummy and polite - two adjectives which would not normally be used to describe a meeting of the full council.

Weird indeed.

An announcement after the meeting that Green councillor Liam Hainey is sadly being forced to stand down because of ill health means voters in Langside, Anderston/City and Calton are all facing a by-election.

When told the news, a colleague who lives in one of the wards put her head in her hands and wailed at the prospect of more leaflets coming through her door.

But come they will, despite the fact the outcome will make no difference to the political picture within the City Chambers.

The Labour group has 45 members, the SNP 27 with the other parties between them having a total of eight.

However political anoraks will be interested to see what impact - if any - the result of the General Election has on voting trends in the city.