Glasgow City Council's threatened departure from Scottish local government umbrella body Cosla has deepened concerns about further fracturing of unity among the country's 32 councils.

The decision, which is likely to be rubber-stamped by Glasgow's executive committee next Thursday, brings to six the number of Scottish authorities announcing their intention to quit the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Inverclyde, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire have served notice to quit, amid concerns about the organisation's effectiveness and power.

‘A number of councils have recently served notice to quit, citing the long-term ineffectiveness of Cosla in advancing the interests of local government in Scotland and the democratic inadequacies of the body,' a report prepared for Glasgow's executive committee stated.

Glasgow would save £300,000 from annual membership fees were give a year's notice of its intention to leave Cosla from the end of March.

Sparking recent tensions has been Cosla's acceptance of a flat cash deal for the next financial settlement – which means councils would get the same amount of money from Government in exchange for extending the council tax freeze for a seventh successive year.

A breakaway group drawn from some of the 16 Labour-led councils opposed to this deal is asking for a rethink on the deal.

Graeme Hendry, leader of the SNP group at Glasgow questioned the plans to quit.

‘We know potentially the financial impact, but what of the broken relationships in local government, the lost contacts, the increased confusion and lack of insight for Glasgow's councillors and officers,' said Mr Hendry.