Glasgow Horse Traders
The Sunday Herald ran a remarkable story yesterday about political horse trading in Glasgow - where nerves are getting decidedly frayed as City Councillors come up for election next year.
The unseemly jockeying for position is a feature of all political parties - not just Labour to be fair - but the 'jobs for the boys' allegations have a depressingly familiar ring.
Back in 1997/8 similar allegations engulfed Glasgow's Labour leadership - only this time over 'votes for trips' - which resulted in a national inquiry, a media storm and wholesale changes at Scotland's largest council.
Maybe this is a sign of things to come - as the next round of local elections in May 2012 draws ever closer.
Labour's city leader is accused in 'threats' row
by Tom Gordon and Paul Hutcheon
The most high-profile Labour politician in next year's council elections has been accused of threatening one of his party colleagues, the Sunday Herald can reveal.
Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council, is the subject of a complaint to the country's independent watchdog for councillors.
He has been reported by fellow Labour councillor Tommy Morrison, who claims he was threatened with the loss of an £11,000-a-year post at Strathclyde Fire & Rescue unless he helped an ally of Matheson get re-selected as a Labour candidate.
The complaint is a blow to Matheson, who has faced continued Labour infighting at the City Chambers since he replaced his former boss Steven Purcell last year.
After its landslide win at Holyrood, the SNP made May's local elections its next priority, with Glasgow the main prize. Labour has 47 of the 79 councillors.
Central to Labour's election strategy has been a recent clear-out of councillors and the selection of new candidates. The result has been an angry backlash against Matheson and his chief whip Alex Glass.
Morrison, a councillor in the Greater Pollok ward since 2007, was among those who failed vetting.
His complaint concerns the lead-up to a meeting of Greater Pollok Labour branch on November 24, which was to select two candidates for May. The ward has three Labour councillors – Morrison, Willie O'Rourke and Alex Glass. With Morrison deselected and O'Rourke suspended, only Glass was eligible to stand for re-selection.
Morrison claims he was warned before the meeting that if he interfered with Glass's bid, or failed to support him, he would lose his council-related place on Strathclyde Fire Board, which last year carried an allowance of £10,978.
It is understood Morrison discussed the issue with Matheson in the leader's office at the City Chambers.
Morrison complained to the party hierarchy, and he and Matheson allegedly reached a brief truce.
But Morrison has now complained to the Public Standards Commissioner about the episode, and copied Labour HQ into the correspondence.
A friend of Morrison told the Sunday Herald: "Tommy made a complaint to the Standards Commission against Councillor Matheson."
The friend claimed: "Cllr Matheson told Tommy that if he interfered with the selection of Alex Glass, he would be removed from the Fire Board. Tommy could not accept a threat to democracy in any shape or form."
In the end, Glass lost the Pollok selection, as local members, including many of Morrison's supporters, voted for former Anniesland MSP Bill Butler and newcomer Rashid Hussain. Glass is now trying to get selected in a new ward.
A spokesman for Cllr Matheson said: "Allegations that Gordon Matheson threatened any member of the Labour group are completely untrue."
