‘Bin Laden’ attempt to rise from the political dead halted by ‘East Coast Weasel’ Iain Gray, Purcell gets no return to the trough via Labour MSP

Dear All

‘Bin Laden’ seeks a return from the dead, not Osama but Steven ‘bin laden’ Purcell, the disgraced former leader of the Glasgow Labour Council of shame.

One of the consequences of Labour’s kicking at the hands of the electorate by the SNP is that Anne McTaggart, an ally of Purcell became a list MSP for Glasgow.

Under what could be described as ‘normal’ circumstances anyone standing on the Labour list in Glasgow wouldn’t get in.

But the political tsunami which hit Scotland swept away so many Labour MSP big hitters that Councillor McTaggart got elected.

Steven Purcell after his cocaine problem was cast out to wander the earth by the Labour Party, but the reality probably is that he wants back into politics.

However Scottish Labour MSP Group leader Iain Gray is understood to have blockers on him working for list MSP Anne McTaggart.

McTaggart owes her political career all to Purcell.

Is there a political return for Purcell?

I would say no, not because of the cocaine issue but rather because of his other bad judgements in using Aleo’s to control his little ‘empire’.

And the fact that cronyism in the Glasgow Labour fiefdom is openly flaunted in Glaswegians faces.

So, what would have happened if McTaggart had Purcell as her assistant, he would use that as a stepping stone back into Glasgow City Council and the Glasgow Labour Party!

Gordon ‘free dinners’ Matheson wouldn’t like that as Purcell poses a threat to his already unsteady and unhappy little ship.

Purcell already works unpaid in the office of Glasgow North West Labour MP John Robertson which Iain Gray can do nothing about Holyrood is another matter.

A senior Labour source at Holyrood said:

“Iain pre-empted [a job] and said that it would be a bad idea to employ Purcell.”

For Labour MSP Anne McTaggart, this would have been a spectacular misstep on her part if she employed Purcell.

A Labour source said:

“Two years ago she was chair of a PTA. Now she’s an MSP. She’s not a bad person, but she’s [got] no political acumen”.

And McTaggart only became a Glasgow councillor in June 2009 through a by-election in Purcell’s political base of Anniesland.

To put it in context, she by bizarre circumstances found herself in Holyrood.

I have seen her in a Council meeting and I can’t say she stood out to any great degree.

McTaggart has since denied that Gray warned her off Purcell during their 20-minute meeting, but added:

“I can definitely tell you that I will not be employing Steven Purcell.”

I don’t see the Labour Party in Glasgow wanting Purcell for many reasons, he ran a Presidential empire, done much damage to the City of Glasgow, wrecked parts of the City and alienated a lot of people.

The drugs thing to my mind isn’t as damaging as it appears to others but his conduct in public office and judgement was warped.

Under his watch, the City of Glasgow was run by Labour for the benefit of Labour not the people.

In 2012, the people of the Glasgow can elect an SNP administration for the first time that will return the city back to the people, fresh ideas and fresh thinking will be the hallmark of that SNP Glasgow City Council.

Yours sincerely

George Laird
The Campaign for Human Rights at Glasgow University