ANAS Sarwar has been told he faces a "major test" of his leadership amid a bid to oust an SNP provost.

Labour are expected to join with the Tories and a "Rubbish" party independent candidate in a vote at a 10am East Ayrshire Council meeting.

They would be teaming up in a bid to oust popular SNP provost Jim Todd, known as the "Rock 'n' Roll Provost", and depute provost Claire Leitch.

Todd is currently awaiting a hip replacement and has less than a year to go in his role, while Leitch is the youngest female depute provost in Scotland and the founder of Scotland's Youth Parliament.

The SNP control 14 seats on the council, and one independent representative is expected to side with them in the vote.

Labour control nine seats, the Tories control six and the "Rubbish" party's Sally Cogley makes up a 16th vote, giving the opposition a majority.

One independent candidate is expected to abstain.

The SNP have called on the Scottish Labour leader to prove his credentials in ensuring his party doesn't team up with the Tories.

The National: Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has tried to move discussion away from the constitution

An SNP spokesperson said: “This is a major test of Anas Sarwar’s leadership of Scottish Labour.

“He made a lot of noise about not working with the Scots Tories when their leader Douglas Ross tried to lure him in during the Holyrood election campaign.

“Let’s see if he is a man of his word and sticks to his position on a matter of principle.

“Or will he fold and side with the party of Boris Johnson who will pay for the exorbitant cost of his hard Brexit on the backs of the poorest Scots?"

Sarwar rebuffed attempts by Scottish Tory leader Ross to form a Unionist pact during this year's Holyrood election campaign.

At the time, Sarwar said: “No, I won’t. A quarter of Scottish kids are growing up in poverty while you and the SNP divide our country.

“Instead I will focus on bringing people together and rebuilding our country – not a return to the divisive politics of old.”

It is not yet clear whether the alliance of opposition parties in East Ayrshire would make a bid to take the administration.

SNP provost Todd previously made headlines as the big hit of the SNP conference in 2018.

Making the case for Scotland’s 32 local authorities to invest pension funds into the proposed new Scottish National Investment Bank, he ended his speech to cheers after calling for “peace, love and independence”.