Shock as Steven Purcell quits as Glasgow legislature chief

Angus Macleod, Scottish Political Editor & , : {}

Steven Purcell was undergoing healing diagnosis for a stress-related seizure after overwhelming colleagues by announcing his evident abdication as personality of Glasgow City Council.

Although the accurate reasons for his depart as head of Scotlands largest internal management remained the concentration of stability speculation, a matter released by the Labour politicians authorised advisers pronounced usually that he was lazy and recuperating from depletion in the caring of professionals.

Mr Purcell, 37, regarded as one of the countrys majority gifted county leaders and even as a intensity destiny First Minister, was pronounced to have been underneath ascent highlight following new controversies involving formulation for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the abdication over losses of 3 officials from Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

While that central reason was still being reliable yesterday, The Times was told by legislature sources that nonetheless these issues had been ongoing concerns they had not themselves forced his resignation.

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Mr Purcell, who 4 years ago left his mother and voiced that he was gay, was pronounced to have led a mad lifestyle, widely separated in between his duties at the Labour-controlled internal management and what was pronounced to be a full amicable life.

He appeared until really not long ago to be coping with the assorted pressures on him but, sources said, last week he began to divulge to friends that he was pang from stress.

Things afterwards crop up to have taken a spin for the worse last Friday when Mr Purcell unsuccessful to spin up for a little engagements and by Saturday, after consulting with friends and relatives, he had some-more or less done up his mind to mount down.

It is believed that he sought healing assistance on Sunday and reliable his preference to renounce to colleagues on Monday evening, when the headlines began to leak.

However, it has emerged that there was a brawl between Mr Purcells advisers on how his abdication and the reasons for it should be explained. Mr Purcells aides at the legislature assumingly suggested that he should entirely divulge the resources at the back of his decision.

But this was ignored after the involvement of Peter Watson, Mr Purcells barrister and a partner in Levy and Macrae, one of Glasgows heading authorised firms.

Mr Watson contacted Media House, the open family association run by Jack Irvine, a former Scottish publication editor. At that point, the reason strictly became stress.

Mr Irvine pronounced that Mr Purcell was underneath huge vigour and had concluded to see a alloy after friends and family became endangered for his health and the highlight levels he had been displaying. He added: Steven concluded to find healing assistance rught away and subsequently he is right away underneath doctors orders.

Council officials were contacted by Mr Purcells solicitors and told not to plead the resources of his abdication in order, one source said, to strengthen his privacy.

Mr Purcells preference to renounce is a vital blow to Labour ranks at Scotlands greatest internal management that has an annual bill of 2.5 billion and in the wider Scottish Labour Party, where he was regarded as a probable destiny leader.

His deputy, Councillor Jim Coleman, will take over as behaving personality at slightest until the legislature Labour organisation binds the AGM in May. It is thought that Mr Purcell will go on as a councillor but sources have ruled out any reurn to the on all sides ha has hold for the past five years. Proceedings to elect a new permanent personality will proceed after this year, probably after the ubiquitous election.

Mr Coleman pronounced he was repelled by the resignation, adding: We are really unhappy at the on all sides he finds himself in. We didnt know Steven was underneath such pressure. It is really unhappy for Glasgow. Steven did a lot of great work.

Alex Salmond praised Mr Purcells efforts to secure the 2014 Games for Glasgow as fantastic.

Mr Purcell was 32 when he was inaugurated as legislature personality in 2005. He initial became a councillor in May 1995 and served as convener of growth and metamorphosis services and afterwards as preparation convener, prior to apropos leader.

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