A LABOUR councillor has been handed a top civic position following the toss of a coin behind closed doors.
Glasgow's Lord Provost and the party's chief whip on the council met in private to decide which of two councillors would be given the role of Bailie, which is a key ceremonial role, with the outcome determined by the flip of a coin.
None of the candidates were present and it is not known if it was decided by a single flip or a 'best out of three'.
Labour have admitted the post was decided on the toss of a coin but blamed "pressure of time" and said the method would never be used again in such a case.
But the move has sparked a new wave of internal strife within the ruling Labour administration in Glasgow, with several senior councillors understood to have publicly expressed their fury.
It is understood around four prominent supporters of council leader Frank McAveety spoke out at a group meeting on Wednesday.
It comes amid concerns within Labour that party councillors are failing to attend meetings despite several SNP by-election victories, defections and bereavements closing the numbers gap on the authority.
Chief whip Alistair Watson has issued an order requiring full attendance from all councillors, with a significant number of those retiring next May rarely seen within the City Chambers.
Following the emergence of a vacancy for the role of Bailie, a ceremonial post which comes with chains and deputises for the Lord Provost at civic events, the job was to be given to Cllr Marie Garrity, understood to be an ally of the faction around the council leader.
However another councillor interested in the role, Pauline McKeever, challenged Mr Watson about the appointment, with the decision then taken for he and Lord Provost Sadie Docherty to toss the coin.
In an email to party colleagues, Ms McKeever said: "I contacted you on the 16/8 regarding the vacant Bailie position and I wanted to update you.
"I was informed yesterday by both the Lord Provost and Cllr Watson they had made the decision by tossing a coin in private and Cllr Garrity will be the new Bailie."
A spokesman for the Labour Group said: “In this particular circumstance there was pressure of time and the Lord Provost and Business Manager of the Labour Group decided to resolve the issue by the toss of a coin.
"The members of the Labour Group have since decided that alternative means to resolve close run contests such as this should be used in the future”.
But one Labour insider said: "Pauline was very keen for the Bailie role. She's not standing next year and was keen to experience it. She is absolutely raging about what happened and confronted Watson in his office.
"Folk like Liz Cameron who had been here for years and was Lord Provost said she was astonished the coin toss was done to select a group member for a civic role. No one else can remember this ever happening before."
Another said: "The reality is that this decision should've gone to a vote amongst the group. I've never heard of decisions for office holders to be taken in this way within the council.
"But we are facing the time when people need to get real and fight for this council and city."
An SNP group spokesman said: "Given the ongoing carnage within Glasgow Labour it will come as no surprise to anyone to learn that decisions are made by the toss of a coin.
"For a long time we have strongly suspected that is how key policy decisions are made and we can only hope that the electorate will soon replace them with an administration that makes decisions based on rational thought and not just chance."
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