THE first new Labour leader in nearly 20 years at one of Scotland's biggest councils has been rocked by a series of party resignations on his first day in the job.

Four Labour councillors at North Lanarkshire have quit after failing to get senior positions under new boss Jim Logue.

Included in the four is the former leader Jim McCabe's right-hand man for 18 years, ex-deputy Jim Smith.

They are all expected to remain as independents and have reduced Labour's majority from 18 to 14.

The move also comes as Mr Logue warned against "dinosaurs" in his own administration and claimed the often bitter infighting engulfing Labour in the North Lanarkshire was the biggest threat to the party losing power in one of its last strongholds.

The Herald:

Jim Smith, deputy leader of North Lanarkshire for 18 years until last week 

Mr Logue formally took the reins of the authority on Tuesday, a week after being selected by the majority of his group to become leader and 22 years after he blew the whistle on the Monklands scandal.

He has hit early turbulence from within sections of his group over a cash row that has split Labour's Motherwell and Wishaw constituency branch.

The four who have quit include Motherwell North members Helen McKenna and Peter Nolan. Wishaw councillor Sam Love, the convener of housing, and Coatbridge councillr Mr Smith have also resigned.

But Mr Logue criticised the behaviour of the four rebels as "undignified, uninspiring and unappealing".

He said: “It was always going to the case that some were unhappy with the necessary changes as we move to refresh and re-energise.

"Their stance is undignified, uninspiring and unappealing. I’m not going to waste time on people who are concerned only about themselves and their own petty agendas and they are not my focus.

“I’m delighted with the team I have around me and we’re moving on. My responsibility is to put people in place who can drive forward services and deliver for the people of North Lanarkshire and that’s what I’ve done.”

The Herald:

Sam Love, former housing convenor, is another to have quit Labour 

Ms McKenna had been convener of the council’s environmental services committee.

She told the Motherwell Times: “Jim Logue couldn’t give me a reason for it. He said I was doing a fantastic job but he wanted new people in.

“I think he wants people who’ll say ‘Yes sir, no sir, three bags full sir’ and I’m not that type.”

She said she would continue as an independent councillor.

Mr Nolan, accused the new leadership of “hounding him out”, adding that no reason had been given for removing him and he felt “humiliated”.

He also told the newspaper he would be uncomfortable staying in the council’s Labour group but would continue as an independent.

One senior source at the authority said: "Jim's promised to make major major changes in personnel which some would say is long overdue.

"Some of those who have quit have done very well from this authority and this behaviour isn't exactly what you'd call brilliant.

"Jim's determined to make changes instead of taking the easy way out and staying with the status quo we've had for 18 years. He's got 14 months to freshen things up."   

Speaking ahead of the resignations Mr Logue had told The Herald of the threat of members quittingh for "personal and selfish agendas".

He said: “We’ve a lot of quite good services in North Lanarkshire but that’s forgotten because of the very personal and political that goes on in both groups.

“That’s what has attracted a lot of the negativity about the council. There’s tremendous work going on but I do take the point that we do attract a lot of negative coverage.

“So much of that is self-imposed by people who want to indulge in personal grievances and that needs to stop.

“There will be political changes. We need to change, to re-energise and position ourselves for 2017. Significant numbers are standing down. I’m not naive, we do have some dinosaurs but we need to see through that.

“We’ll be in opposition if people want to progress their own personal and selfish agendas.”