A ROW over gender inequality among Scottish Labour’s Glasgow councillors has been reignited after two women revealed they are challenging the “old guard” for key leadership positions when an AGM is held tomorrow.

Councillor Soryia Siddique’s deputy leadership bid and Councillor Anne McTaggart’s bid to replace the business manager, a position which is effectively the chief whip, have been backed by Scottish Labour’s women’s representation group.

It is understood the female chair of the Labour group, Elaine McDougall, is standing down from the position, leaving a majority male team at the top, unless Siddique and McTaggart succeed in unseating Graham and Butler.

McTaggart said Glasgow Labour has long had a problem with “sexism” because men have traditionally occupied key paid positions. She also said the Scottish Labour leadership is keen to see the “old guard” replaced with women as part of a move to promote gender equality.

During the Scottish Labour leadership campaign Richard Leonard pledged to set up a training academy as part of a plan to ensure half of the party’s election candidates are women.

The current deputy leader of the Glasgow Labour group is Councillor Archie Graham who made controversial comments in 2016 about “overloading” women if they were to be given key positions when Labour was running the local authority. Current leader Frank McAveety, who is understood to have nominated Graham to remain as his deputy, made inappropriate remarks about a girl when he was an MSP. Councillor Martin McElroy had begun canvassing support for a challenge to McAveety but will not now seek to unseat him when a vote is held at the AGM on Monday.

McAveety, a former MSP, quit his role as a convenor of a Scottish Parliament committee in 2010 after he was overheard making inappropriate comments about a girl in the public benches.

He was heard to say: “There's a very attractive girl in the second row, dark... and dusky. We'll maybe put a wee word out for her.” He went on to say: “She's very attractive looking, nice, very nice, very slim,” before adding: “The heat's getting to me.”

McAveety was also criticised in 2016 by then Labour Lord Provost Sadie Docherty over his failure to give half of the top jobs to women when he was leader of Glasgow City Council.

His deputy, Councillor Archie Graham, who is married to former Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont MSP, said at the time there was a concern about “overloading” women.

Graham said: “Really, the crux of the problem is we don’t have anywhere near half of the members of the council who are female and that makes it a real challenge. It also actually places a burden to some extent on women if you start overloading them with work in comparison to men. So we’ve got to watch not to do that either.”

Of the 31 Glasgow Labour councillors, ten are women. Seven women stood down as Labour councillors before the local elections in 2017 amid claims from some of a “macho culture” which created an “unpleasant environment” for women.

Councillor Soryia Siddique, who is hoping to unseat Graham when a vote is held on Monday, said: “I was asked to put myself forward as candidate for deputy leader by the women’s representation group. It is important that the leadership reflects the makeup of the communities we serve. I believe I have the experience and track record to deliver. I look forward to receiving the support of my colleagues.”

Councillor Anne McTaggart, who is challenging Butler for the business manager position, confirmed she also has the support of the women’s representation group.

She added: “Historically, Glasgow Labour has had a problem with sexism with most women unable to get near to a key decision-making position. The old guard must change in order to redress the balance.”

Councillor Frank McAveety said the Labour Group is “open and democratic” and as the re-elected leader he will offer his “full commitment to involving all our councillors in promoting diversity and equality in our city.”

Councillor Archie Graham, Councillor Bill Butler and Councillor Martin McElroy did not respond to the Sunday Herald.