THE chief of Scotland’s largest Labour group is facing a leadership challenge just over a week from the local elections.
Malcolm Cunning, the leader of the Glasgow Labour group, is facing a contest after George Redmond, who made a return to the council after a five-year absence, said he would bid for leadership.
Redmond was a councillor in the city for 18 years and held senior positions in Labour’s administration when it formerly ran Glasgow City Council.
He told the Daily Record he plans to challenge Cunning, who has only been in post since 2020.
The veteran councillor, who now represents the Calton area of the city, told the paper: “I’ve got widespread experience in the portfolios I have held. I had the economic brief, the Glasgow Life brief and I was the co-author of the Glasgow health strategy. I have also run a successful financial organisation.
“Glasgow is not in a good place. People want the city cleaned up. One of the first things I would do is call a meeting of the business community about the city centre.
“The state of the city centre is heartbreaking. Big stores have pulled out. We can’t pretend it is not happening.”
Cunning defended his position in a statement to the Record, saying he did not “think this is time to change the leadership”.
A vote is expected next week.
We revealed previously how Cunning had met with ultra-Unionist group The Majority prior to the local elections earlier this month. The group said they had come to an agreement on “key issues”.
