Former Labour leader and Glasgow city lord provost Pat Lally has been praised as a “towering” figure following his death at the age of 92.
The long-serving politician was also said to be a passionate advocate of the city of his birth, which he represented in different roles for more than three decades.
Nicknamed Lazarus because of his many comebacks, he presided over landmark moments in the city’s post-industrial revival, starting in the early 1970s with a campaign to provide inside toilets in many new tenements - nicknamed ‘Lally’s lavvies’ - for the first time as the demolition and regeneration of slum areas gathered pace.
Other successes included a bid for the 1988 Garden Festival, and Glasgow being named the European City of Culture in 1990 and the City of Architecture almost a decade later in 1999.
He was also credited as the driving force behind the decision to build the Royal Concert Hall.
- Obituary: Pat Lally, former Glasgow Lord Provost
Mr Lally was born and brought up in Gorbals, working initially in the clothing trade before going on to serve as a radar operator in the RAF during the Second World War.
His friend and biographer Neil Baxter said that the former Lord Provost had been Scotland’s highest-profile politician for nearly two decades, and had thrived under the spotlight.
He added: “Widely credited with transforming his city’s image through its inspired promotion under the cultural banner, he was driven, determined, inspiring, charismatic and rarely out of the news.
“He also had a sparkling sense of humour. Not averse to courting controversy if he felt it was in the interests of the people of Glasgow, Pat Lally bravely fought off a series of personal attacks, secure in the knowledge that he had dedicated his career to serving the city he loved with vision, passion and integrity.
“Pat’s wife Peggy, to whom he was devoted, died in 2007. She had served alongside him during his provostship and as lady provost dedicated tremendous energy and goodwill to many charitable causes.”
His two sons Derek and Robert also spoke fondly of their father, saying: “We are very proud of all that our dad achieved and of his contribution to Glasgow and Scotland.
“A passionate Glaswegian, he was also a dedicated family man and a devoted husband, father and grandfather.”
Obituary: Pat Lally, former Glasgow Lord Provost
Leader of the Glasgow Labour Group, Frank McAveety, spoke of Mr Lally’s unwavering commitment to his party’s founding principles and the city of his birth.
He said: “We have lost of the most significant figures in Glasgow’s recent history, and a towering figure in Glasgow Labour politics. Born in the year of the general strike, and brought up in the very best traditions of the labour movement, Pat made an enormous contribution to this city and to our wider movement.
“He championed arts and culture in Glasgow, he championed the communities that he represented but above all else he was a champion for the city that he loved.
“Pat Lally will always be remembered for his unwavering and undaunted commitment to his city, and his ambition for all of our people.
“I am sure that Glaswegians will remember him fondly, because he was one of them.”
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken said: “I only met Pat a few times, but recall the politeness of an old-school gentleman combined with a very dry wit. He was a very funny and interesting man.
“Pat was a local politician who had an impact well beyond the local. He believed that Glasgow’s ambitions should be limitless and that Glaswegians deserved the best.
“For Pat, local government was not just about delivering services. It was about lifting the aspirations of our citizens. I often think of him when I visit our fab concert hall. He took a lot of criticism at the time but has been vindicated by the venue’s massive success.”
Obituary: Pat Lally, former Glasgow Lord Provost
Tributes have also been paid to Mr Lally on social media. Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, tweeted: “RIP Pat Lally. A giant of local government, and a champion of Glasgow & @scottishlabour.”
Also posting on Twitter, Stewart McDonald, SNP MP for Glasgow South, said: “Glasgow bids a fond farewell to one our city’s best known politicians. I had the pleasure of knowing Pat Lally through his work at @TheSeniorCentre, where he worked tirelessly for older people.”
Mr McDonald added: “He’s a giant of Glasgow’s political history.”
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