{{Short description|British politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}} {{confuse|Steve Purcell}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = Councillor | name = Steven Purcell | honorific_suffix = | office = Leader of Glasgow City Council | term_start = 24 May 2005 | term_end = 2 March 2010 | predecessor = Charlie Gordon | successor = Gordon Matheson | office2 = Glasgow City Councillor | term_start2 = 6 April 1995 | term_end2 = 5 March 2010 | predecessor2 = ''Office established'' | successor2 = Christopher Hughes | constituency2 = Blairdardie <small>(1995 - 2007)</small><br/>Drumschapel/Anniesland<br/><small>(2007 - 2010)</small>
| birth_date = 1972 | birth_place = Glasgow, Scotland | party = Labour Party }} '''Steven Purcell''' is a former Scottish Labour Party politician who was councillor for the Drumchapel/Anniesland ward of Glasgow City Council. He was Leader of the council from 24 May 2005<ref>[http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/Council_Committees/Councillors/CouncillorsBiography/bio3.htm Councillor Steven Purcell Biography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090327130544/http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/en/YourCouncil/Council_Committees/Councillors/CouncillorsBiography/bio3.htm |date=27 March 2009 }}, Glasgow City Council website. Accessed 13 October 2022.</ref> until 2 March 2010, when he announced he would be standing down from this position due to stress. He resigned his post as councillor on 5 March 2010.
In late September 2011, Strathclyde Police's major crime unit had completed a probe into Purcell over allegations of corruption and links with gangsters during his time as Leader of Glasgow City Council and have submitted reports to the Procurator-Fiscal.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/2011/09/23/cocaine-shame-ex-council-boss-steven-purcell-is-happy-as-larry-as-corruption-police-complete-probe-into-his-dealings-86908-23439963/ | title = Cocaine shame ex-council boss Steven Purcell is 'Happy as Larry' as corruption police complete probe into his dealings | newspaper = Daily Record | first = Chris | last = Musson | date = 23 September 2011 | accessdate = 30 May 2015 }}</ref>
In January 2012, the Crown Office stated that there was insufficient evidence of criminality and no further action was currently appropriate.<ref>{{cite news | title=No charges against ex-council chief Steven Purcell | newspaper=BBC News Scotland online | date=20 January 2012 | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-16661750 | accessdate=21 January 2012}}</ref>
==Personal life== Born in 1972 in Glasgow, Purcell has lived all of his life in the city's Yoker area. He is a keen football fan and enjoys reading, music, history and debates among many interests. In 2006, he announced that he was gay and was separating from his wife.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/6164121.stm | work=BBC News | title=Council leader announces he's gay | date=2006-12-09 | accessdate=2010-05-24}}</ref>
==Political life== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=October 2022}} He joined the Labour Party in 1986, and was first elected to Glasgow City Council in May 1995 for the ward of Blairdardie.
During his time at the council he had been the council's Convener of Development & Regeneration Services and Convener of Education and later leader of the council.
==Commonwealth Games== Purcell played a part in bringing the 2014 Commonwealth Games to Glasgow,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/scotland/4532934.stm | work=BBC News | title=Glasgow eyes 2014 Commonwealths | date=2005-12-15 | accessdate=2010-05-24}}</ref> and was part of the Bid Team that mustered support for the games. On 9 November 2007 in Sri Lanka it was announced that Glasgow had won the games.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7085422.stm | work=BBC News | title=Glasgow wins race for 2014 Games | date=2007-11-09 | accessdate=2010-05-24}}</ref>
==Resignation== On 2 March 2010, it was announced that Purcell was resigning as Leader of Glasgow City Council due to stress.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8544676.stm | title=Glasgow council leader Steven Purcell stands down | publisher=BBC News | date=2 March 2010| accessdate=2 March 2010}}</ref> It was revealed on 3 March 2010 that Purcell had been admitted to Castle Craig Hospital, a "drug and alcohol addictions hospital" in the Scottish Borders on Saturday, 27 February 2010.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/7359352/Steven-Purcell-leaves-rehab-clinic.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100308104536/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/scotland/7359352/Steven-Purcell-leaves-rehab-clinic.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=8 March 2010 | title=Steven Purcell leaves rehab clinic | work=The Daily Telegraph | date=3 March 2010 | accessdate=6 March 2010 | location=London | first=Simon | last=Johnson}}</ref>
It was later announced that he went missing from the hospital on Sunday, 28 February, with Lothian and Borders Police being called to find him, before returning on his own later that day.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://news.stv.tv/scotland/161497-drug-problem-denied-by-ex-council-leaders-doctor/ | title=Drug problem denied by ex-Council Leader's Doctor | publisher=STV | date=4 March 2010| accessdate=6 March 2010}}</ref> He left the hospital on 2 March 2010.
On 4 March 2010, ''The Scotsman'' newspaper alleged that Glasgow City Council's press relations staff were preparing a press-release that stated Purcell's resignation was due to a "chemical dependency", but were stopped from doing so by lawyers representing Purcell who later put out the press release citing "stress and exhaustion" as his reasons for resigning.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.scotsman.com/steven-purcell/Council-was-set-to-reveal.6122138.jp | title=Council was set to reveal Steven Purcell's drug problem | publisher=The Scotsman | date=4 March 2010 | accessdate=6 March 2010}}</ref>
A further press release by his lawyers was put out denying this, stating that according to Mr. Purcell's psychiatrist, Dr. Florian Kaplick, "it needs to be noted that he was not treated for 'a drug problem'".<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.scotsman.com/glasgow/Steven-Purcell-forced-to-quit.6129415.jp | title=Steven Purcell forced to quit politics | publisher=The Scotsman | date=6 March 2010| accessdate=6 March 2010}}</ref>
On 5 March 2010, he stood down as councillor.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/8552466.stm | title=Purcell quits as city councillor | publisher=BBC News | date=5 March 2010 | accessdate=5 March 2010}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{succession box | title=Leader of Glasgow City Council | before=Charlie Gordon | after=Gordon Matheson| years=2005–2010}} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Purcell, Steven}} Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:Politicians from Glasgow Category:Scottish Labour councillors Category:Councillors in Glasgow Category:Scottish gay politicians Category:People educated at St Thomas Aquinas Secondary School, Glasgow Category:Leaders of local authorities of Scotland