However, at first Labour were opposed by the Progressives before other national political parties entered local government elections on a significant scale.
Apart from a distinct focus on their urban localities the other essence of the Progressive groupings was opposition to Labour policies and control, plus a desire to avoid splitting the anti-Labour vote.
Their members were mainly drawn from local middle-class businessmen opposed to the introduction of what they saw as municipal socialism and Labour control.
They dominated Scottish local politics for almost 50 years and as late as 1972 Edinburgh Corporation was made up of 21 Progressives, nine Conservatives, 33 Labour and five Liberals.
However, by the end of the 1970s they had completely disappeared as the entry of Scottish National Party, Liberal and Conservative candidates into local politics supplanted their role of opposing Labour.