The Scottish Government has been praised as doing “very well” according to Labour’s most powerful figure in Scotland, in an interview that brings more embarrassment for Labour’s Scottish Parliament leader Iain Gray.

In an interview with The Observer, the leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Stephen Purcell says: "New Labour as a brand is dead and the period of opposition we're having in Holyrood is giving us a chance to reflect on how we administer devolution. Look, there's no point in pretending that the SNP government has not done very well, given that none of their ministers had had any previous experience in government. There's no doubt the processes of devolution have been helped by having a minority government in Holyrood."

Welcoming Cllr Purcell’s praise, SNP Glasgow East MP, John Mason said: "Stephen Purcell is Labour’s most powerful figure in Scotland and his praise of the Scottish Government is honestly and constructively made.

"His comments will be acutely embarrassing for Iain Gray who can’t find a good word about any of the action Alex Salmond’s government has taken to create and protect Scottish jobs.

"It is difficult to see how the policy and profile pieces about Steven Purcell are anything other than a clear challenge to Iain Gray's faltering leadership."

Notes:

Full details of Stephen Purcell’s interview can be found here.

Cllr Purcell has recently been at loggerheads with Labour’s leadership in Holyrood over his calls for the council tax to be scrapped, and earlier overshadowed Iain Gray’s Labour party conference speech with calls for a Glasgow Living Wage.