THE longest-standing council leader in Scotland is to quit, opening the door for a potentially bruising succession race.

Jim McCabe, the often outspoken and controversial leader of Labour-led North Lanarkshire Council since 1998, will leave his post on February 29th, a little over a year before the next local elections.

The Labour stalwart confirmed his decision having made the announcement at a meeting of Labour councillors on Monday night.

The Herald understands it comes amid an increasing internal clamour for a change in leadership as Labour faces a major struggle to hold power in its traditional heartlands.

The 75-year-old said he was keen to spend more time with his grandchildren after a lifetime in local Labour politics.

It has also been claimed that Mr McCabe does not relish being the leader to hand-over power of one of the UK's last bastions of old Labour to the SNP in May 2017.

But opponents from within his own party say his decision to step down gives Labour "a glimmer of hope" that they can ward off the challenge.

The move is also likely to spark a bitter contest to become leader, with several sources predicting veteran Airdrie councillor Jim Logue will throw his hat in the ring and has the required backing to mount a challenge.

However, the bitter legacy of the Monklands scandal from over two decades ago is again expected to be a factor in North Lanarkshire politics, with long-time adversary Jim Brooks also expected to throw his hat in the ring or encourage a supporter to do so.

Mr McCabe has decided to stand down at his group's AGM after insisting he wanted to deliver one further budget in February.

He said: “Being leader of this council is all-consuming. I have young grandchildren and I’d very much like to spend more time with them.

"Although I will stay on as a councillor, the time is now right to pass on the baton to a new leader who can drive the council forward in the future. It is up to the group to decide who that leader will be, but he or she will have my full support.”

“My focus right now is on setting a budget. This has been made a hugely difficult task by the cuts we’ve experienced from the Scottish Government and we face some unpalatable choices." 

The Herald:

One source said: "Jim just genuinely feels he's done his bit and feels with what's coming down the line financially its as good a time as any for him to hand over the reigns."

But another said: "As its stands, holding the council in 2017 will be an extremely difficult task. But with a change, there's the tiniest glimmer of a chance.

"Logue has the numbers and McCabe knows it. Jim (Logue) has finally realised this is his last cance. If he hadn't taken McCabe on now an insurgency would've coalesced around someone else.

"But he will face a challenge from the Coatbridge crowd.There's no love lost there."

Last October, Mr McCabe, who has admitted to being friends with a major contractor, cleared of any wrongdoing by watchdogs.

The stalwart, a long-time leader of Labour within local government umbrella group Cosla, was reported to the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life after not declaring his friendship with executives at a company at the heart of a multi-million-pound council deal.

He also faced intense pressure from within his own party and opposition nationalists over his relationship with officials at Mears Scotland but was cleared.

Mr McCabe was also away from frontline politics for several months after suffering a suspected heart attack in December 2013.

Mr McCabe started work as a miner in 1955 and then became as a fitter erector before working offshore. Between 1985 and 1997 he worked in the social work department of Strathclyde Regional Council.

He was elected to Motherwell District Council in 1992 and became depute leader of North Lanarkshire Council on local government reorganisation in 1996. He was elected leader of the council in 1998.

Married to Margaret for more than 50 years, he has a son and a daughter