As more questions now arise as to Mr Purcell’s state of mind when crucial decisions were taken by the authority, some members of the administration have told The Herald that even senior members of the ruling executive team were on the margins of the decision-making processes.
One said that during candid conversations between Labour members last week it emerged that there was a culture of presuming various members of Mr Purcell’s “kitchen cabinet” were on top of decisions and debates going on within the leader’s office when in fact no-one was scrutinising.
With the likelihood of a leadership race in May increasing, Labour councillors are understood to be openly discussing a return of the Labour group as the central decision-making power within the authority.
Sources close to interim leader Jim Coleman insisted there would be change but reaffirmed their view that the council was not a one-man band.
One said: “Jim spoke to the Labour group and executive yesterday and made it plain he wants to give councillors, but especially executive members, more space to get on with their jobs and more responsibility for policy areas.
“It will be much more of a team approach in the Labour group than has been the case. Steven Purcell stole the showbiz but was never one for hard work. All the hard workers are still at the council.”
Yesterday, the former opposition leader in the city council, SNP MSP John Mason, said he had written to the chief executive of the council, as well as Audit Scotland and the Accounts Commission, “to urge an open and transparent investigation into the practices of the council in recent years”.
Mr Mason, and current opposition leader James Dornan said that, on the back of claims some Labour figures had concerns about Mr Purcell’s drug misuse as far back as the 2008 Glasgow East by-election, the party must set the record straight.
He said: “The issue people in Glasgow want answers to is what has been going on in City Chambers not just in the last few weeks but over a period of years.”
But one senior Labour source said: “Steven’s style was definitely presidential. You always thought that when decisions were being taken persons A, B or C were in the room with him. You now realise that no eyes were on him.”
