Steven Purcell
Encyclopedia
Steven Purcell is a former Scottish
Labour Party
politician and was councillor
for the Drumchapel
and Anniesland
ward in Glasgow
and is a former leader of Glasgow City Council. He was Leader of the Council from 24 May 2005 until 2 March 2010 when he announced he would be standing down from this position due to stress
. He resigned his post as councillor on 5 March 2010.
In late September 2011, Strathclyde Police
's major crime unit had completed a probe into Purcell over allegations of corruption and links with gangsters during his time as Leader of Glasgow City Council and have submitted reports to the Procurator-Fiscal.
area of Glasgow. He is a keen football fan and enjoys reading, music, history and debates among many interests. In 2006 he announced that he was gay and was separating from his wife.
in 1986, and was first elected to Glasgow City Council in May 1995 for the ward of Blairdardie
.
During his time at the council he had been the Council's Convener of Development & Regeneration Services and Convener of Education and later Leader of the Council.
to Glasgow, and was part of the Bid Team that mustered support for the games. On 9 November in Sri Lanka it was announced that Glasgow had won the games, following the result Purcell said;
As leader of Glasgow City Council Steven was heavily involved with the organising of the games.
, a "drug and alcohol addictions hospital" in the Scottish Borders
on Saturday 27 February 2010. It was later announced that he went missing from the hospital on Sunday 28 February, with Lothian and Borders Police
being called to find him, before returning on his own later that day. He left the hospital on 2 March 2010.
On 4 March 2010, The Scotsman
newspaper alleged that Glasgow City Council's press relations staff were preparing a press-release that stated Mr. Purcell's resignation was due to a "chemical dependency", but were stopped from doing so by lawyers representing Mr. Purcell who later put out the press release citing "stress and exhaustion" as his reasons for resigning. A further press release by his lawyers was put out denying this, stating that according to Mr. Purcell's psychiatrist
, Dr. Florian Kaplick, "it needs to be noted that he was not treated for 'a drug problem'.". On 5 March 2010, he stood down as councillor.
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician and was councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
for the Drumchapel
Drumchapel
Drumchapel , known to locals and residents as 'The Drum', is part of the city of Glasgow, Scotland, having been annexed from Dunbartonshire in 1938. It borders Bearsden to the east and Clydebank to the west . The area is bordered by Knightswood and Yoker in Glasgow. The name derives from the...
and Anniesland
Anniesland
Anniesland is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde, and centres around the junction of the Great Western Road and Crow Road; also known as Anniesland Cross....
ward in Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
and is a former leader of Glasgow City Council. He was Leader of the Council from 24 May 2005 until 2 March 2010 when he announced he would be standing down from this position due to stress
Stress (biology)
Stress is a term in psychology and biology, borrowed from physics and engineering and first used in the biological context in the 1930s, which has in more recent decades become commonly used in popular parlance...
. He resigned his post as councillor on 5 March 2010.
In late September 2011, Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police
Strathclyde Police is the territorial police force responsible for the Scottish council areas of Argyll and Bute, City of Glasgow, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West...
's major crime unit had completed a probe into Purcell over allegations of corruption and links with gangsters during his time as Leader of Glasgow City Council and have submitted reports to the Procurator-Fiscal.
Personal life
Born in 1972, in Glasgow, he has lived all of his life in the YokerYoker
Yoker is a western district of Glasgow, in Scotland, UK, lying on the northern bank of the Clyde to the east of Clydebank. It is located approximately 5 miles west of the City Centre. From the fourteenth century a ferry has linked Yoker with the burgh of Renfrew on the south bank...
area of Glasgow. He is a keen football fan and enjoys reading, music, history and debates among many interests. In 2006 he announced that he was gay and was separating from his wife.
Political life
He joined the Labour PartyLabour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in 1986, and was first elected to Glasgow City Council in May 1995 for the ward of Blairdardie
Blairdardie
Blairdardie is a district in the Scottish city of Glasgow. It is situated north of the River Clyde. The main A82 "Great Western Road" runs right through the middle creating a South Blairdardie which extends to the Forth and Clyde canal. There are two primary schools in Blairdardie...
.
During his time at the council he had been the Council's Convener of Development & Regeneration Services and Convener of Education and later Leader of the Council.
Commonwealth Games
Purcell played an instrumental part in bringing the 2014 Commonwealth Games2014 Commonwealth Games
The 20th Commonwealth Games in 2014 will be held in Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland. The winning city was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation on 9 November 2007 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Games will run over 11 days of competition from 24 July to 3 August 2014...
to Glasgow, and was part of the Bid Team that mustered support for the games. On 9 November in Sri Lanka it was announced that Glasgow had won the games, following the result Purcell said;
The 2014 Commonwealth Games will create a lasting legacy for Glasgow, both economically and socially. The games will change the city, and change people's lives.
As leader of Glasgow City Council Steven was heavily involved with the organising of the games.
Resignation
On 2 March 2010, it was announced Mr. Purcell was resigning as Leader of Glasgow City Council due to stress. It was revealed on 3 March 2010 that Purcell had been admitted to Castle Craig HospitalCastle Craig Hospital
Castle Craig Hospital is a residential hospital located in the Scottish Borders south of Edinburgh. It is the largest addiction treatment hospital in the UK and since its founding in 1988 it has treated over 10,000 patients...
, a "drug and alcohol addictions hospital" in the Scottish Borders
Scottish Borders
The Scottish Borders is one of 32 local government council areas of Scotland. It is bordered by Dumfries and Galloway in the west, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian in the north west, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian to the north; and the non-metropolitan counties of Northumberland...
on Saturday 27 February 2010. It was later announced that he went missing from the hospital on Sunday 28 February, with Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police
Lothian and Borders Police is the territorial police force for the Scottish council areas of the City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, Scottish Borders and West Lothian...
being called to find him, before returning on his own later that day. He left the hospital on 2 March 2010.
On 4 March 2010, The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
newspaper alleged that Glasgow City Council's press relations staff were preparing a press-release that stated Mr. Purcell's resignation was due to a "chemical dependency", but were stopped from doing so by lawyers representing Mr. Purcell who later put out the press release citing "stress and exhaustion" as his reasons for resigning. A further press release by his lawyers was put out denying this, stating that according to Mr. Purcell's psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
, Dr. Florian Kaplick, "it needs to be noted that he was not treated for 'a drug problem'.". On 5 March 2010, he stood down as councillor.