BARCELONA, June 17 (Reuters) - Spain's Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez was given a last-minute consolation on Saturday when Barcelona's city council appointed a new Socialist mayor after a deal involving two rival parties. Despite pro-independence parties appearing certain to run Spain's second city, Jaume Collboni, the Socialist candidate, became mayor after the far-left Barcelona en Comu of the outgoing mayor Ada Colau gave him its support in a move supported by the conservative People's Party. The decision was a boost for the Socialist Party, which leads the national government, after mostly poor results in local elections around the country on May 28. Xavier Trias, 76, who represents the pro-business, pro independence party Junts per Catalunya, had been favourite to become mayor until the 11th-hour deal favouring Collboni. The political shift in Barcelona is a further setback for Catalonia's pro-independence movement, which has faltered in recent years.

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Persons: Pedro Sanchez, Jaume Collboni, Ada Colau, Sanchez, Xavier Trias, Graham Keeley, Joan Faus, David Holmes Organizations: Socialist, People's Party, Socialist Party, Thomson Locations: BARCELONA, Barcelona's, Barcelona, Catalunya, Comu