In Episode 27 of Apolitical we speak with Steven Purcell, formerly a Labour Councillor and the Leader of Glasgow City Council. We chat about his time as Leader, the present situation faced by Scottish Labour and what an SNP-led council would mean for the city of Glasgow.
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Amongst the topics we discuss with Steven on the podcast are:
• His early interest in politics and the politicians that inspired him;
• The roles he held on Glasgow City Council and his rapid progression to Leader;
• His parliamentary ambitions;
• The truth behind allegations of gangland influence on Council decisions;
• The end of his time as Leader and whether there are any prospects of a political comeback;
• How SNP-led councils could affect the relationship between the Scottish Government and local authorities after the 2017 local elections;
• Labour’s prospects of retaining control of Glasgow City Council in that election;
• The strategy he’d deploy were he Labour Leader in Glasgow today;
• Whether Councillors should be full-time positions and how that would affect the level of available talent and voter engagement with local politics;
and
• His diagnosis and analysis of the present state of play for Scottish Labour.
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Show Links:
Steven Purcell on Twitter
Scottish Labour
Glasgow City Council
