Jul/10
09:05 5
Exclusive: Embattled former council leader lays groundwork for political comeback
A month ago former leader of Glasgow City Council Steven Purcell appeared on the front page of the Scottish Mail on Sunday. In a ‘mia culpa’ style article Purcell complained about the hounding he’s received from the press over the past four months and expressed his desire to get on with his life (read: political career). Shortly afterwards it was reported that Purcell is to take up a post with the charitable Stewart & McKenna Foundation.
Scrapbook has it on good authority that Purcell has recruited dozens of new members in his local Labour Party branch (37 at last count). With a couple of retirements expected in the Garscadden/Scotstounhill council ward Purcell could be angling to step into this vacuum in 2012.
Word on the street is that Purcell has his eyes on John Robertson’s Westminster seat of Glasgow North West in 2015.
No one seems to have told him it’s likely to disappear with boundary changes.
UPDATE: A source close to John Robertson has been in touch to assure us that ”John is 100% certain” he’ll be standing at the next election, meanwhile The Herald have also mooted the possibility of a move for the Glasgow Anniesland Scottish Parliament seat currently held by Bill Butler. With incumbents in their 50s and a “long road back” to political recovery, a realistic timetable seems to preclude standing for Westminster or Holyrood in 2015. The young Purcell has time to wait.
Mar/10
23:44 5
Resigning council leader Steven Purcell “will not contest Westminster seat”
UPDATE 01:45 A mere three hours after the story broke on Twitter, The Scottish Sun has the story. Embargoes, eh?
UPDATE 4 March It has since been announced that Purcell has been treated at a rehab clinic in the Scottish borders. Purcell is a widely recognised talent and, at 37, relatively young. Whatever the circumstances of his resignation, Scrapbook for one is sure that he will be back.
UPDATE 8 March …or perhaps not! If Scrapbook (in England) had heard about the cocaine stuff on Monday night then it was clear that they weren’t going to keep a lid on it for long. Semi-stonewalling the media was never going to work and has probably scuppered the prospect of a return. This report from The Herald makes for powerful reading. Good luck to Steven in whatever he turns his efforts to when he resurfaces.
It has emerged tonight that Steven Purcell, the leader of Glasgow City Council, has resigned. Purcell was elected unopposed to lead one of Labour’s largest local authorities aged just 32 in 2005. The city employs over 36,000 staff and spends more than £2.4bn per year.
This is a moderately big deal north of the border, where Purcell is an increasingly big-hitter in the Labour movement. He is believed to have been approached by Gordon Brown to stand as a candidate in the 2008 Glasgow East by-election before the contest was eventually fought by MSP Margaret Curran.
Scrapbook understands that Purcell is not preparing to contest a Westminster seat, while Scots freelance hack @journodave has tweeted that ”Mr Purcell is to resign for personal reasons”. The mainstream media are currently sitting on an embargo.
Head to Twitter to see how this unfolds.
