Labour not to blame for by-election mess - Sarwar

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has blamed an "administrative mess" after one of his party's newly elected councillors was disqualified from the job.

Mary McNab won a by-election in Glasgow North East on 22 November, but failed to comply with legislation requiring her to stand down from her Glasgow City Council job the next working day.

Sarwar insisted his party was not to blame and said there may have been "discrepancies" in the advice McNab was given by her employer.

Glasgow City Council said it issues guidance to all election candidates, but that council managers would not be "reasonably" expected to advise employees on election law.

McNab, who has worked as a carer, has yet to explain why she did not resign from her council job in time.

Her disqualification is expected to result in another by-election, which cost about £80,000 to hold, according to the council.

'Deeply frustrating'

Sarwar said: "This is someone who was desperate to serve the local community, someone who was elected by the local community, and we've allowed an administrative mess-up on all sides to mean that we now have another by-election there which is really, really deeply frustrating."

After being asked why McNab did not quit in time, he told reporters: "I think you need to speak to Mary McNab and speak about the conversations that she was having with her employer and the process that she was told to follow with her employer.

"I think there are probably some discrepancies on the advice that she was given by her employer and the process that she had followed, which meant inadvertently, that there was a situation we now find ourselves in."

He added: "I don't think this one's on the Labour Party to be honest. I think there is a wider administrative issue here which sadly means we're going to have a by-election."

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken has demanded an apology from Labour

The council said it has asked a senior legal officer, the Sheriff Principal, to provide clarity on the situation.

A spokesperson said: "The council's election team issues guidance to all candidates and agents in advance of every election, on behalf of the returning officer - this includes the Electoral Commission's guidance on when employees who are elected to local authorities are required to resign their positions.

"In this case, neither the candidate nor their party sought any further advice from the returning officer or from the council's election team.

"It would not be legal or appropriate to discuss the details of any individual's employment without their consent.

"However, nobody would reasonably expect a line manager to offer specialist advice on election law."

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken accused Glasgow Labour chiefs of "lazy" and "incompetent" leadership.

Posting on X, she said McNab had been "let down" by the party, adding: "Not half as let down as folk in the North East ward or the wider city though.

"An apology at the least is due for this Glasgow Labour mess."