Steven Purcell steps down as leader of Glasgow City Council

Mar 2 2010

GLASGOW City Council leader Steven Purcell has quit the role, blaming stress and exhaustion.

Purcell, regarded as one of Labour's rising stars and tipped for a future at Holyrood or Westminster, stood down as the leader on Tuesday morning.

The 37-year-old tendered his resignation at a meeting of the authority's Labour group at the City Chambers.

His deputy Jim Coleman will assume the leadership temporarily.

Mr Coleman said today: "The Labour group has accepted Councillor Purcell's resignation as leader.

"What's important now is that the people of Glasgow know that, as far as the council is concerned, it's business as usual.

"The administration will continue to provide leadership for the city as a whole. As always, our focus is firmly on Glasgow's priorities." 

Mr Purcell was not at the short meeting of the Labour councillors, in which they were told of his decision to step down.

He did not contact the council directly and has not been in the City Chambers since Friday.

Proceedings to elect a new permanent leader will begin later this year, probably after the general election.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Coleman said: "It was a great shock. We didn't know Steven was under such pressure. I never picked anything up.

"All we can do is wish him a speedy recovery. It is very sad for Glasgow. Stephen Purcell did a lot of good work for Glasgow.

"It shows the stress that people in these positions are under.

"My job here from today is to continue the good work he started and to make sure it is business as usual for Glasgow. There are big challenges ahead but we will continue to deliver the agenda for change."

Purcell, from Yoker in the west end of the city, was instrumental in Glasgow landing the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

But his administration was rocked last week by a series of resignations from council-linked Strathclyde Partnership for Transport over an expenses scandal.

SPT chairman Alistair Watson resigned for "health reasons" just days after a national newspaper revealed a handful of top officials, including Mr Watson, had claimed s117,573 in the three years between 2006 and 2009.

Vice chairman, councillor Davie McLachlan, and Ron Culley, the chief executive of SPT, both followed soon after.

PR guru Jack Irvine, called in as Purcell's spokesman, said: "Steven's family and close friends came to his home at the weekend. They were deeply concerned about the enormous stress levels he was displaying.

"Steven agreed that the pressures surrounding the SPT debacle and the Commonwealth Games were enormous and that he was totally exhausted.

"He agreed he needed counselling and medical care.

"Steven hopes that the people of Glasgow appreciate that he's worked so hard for the city he loves."