Gay Glasgow council leader Steven Purcell is Councillor of the Year

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Steven Purcell, the leader of Glasgow city council, has been named the Herald’s Councillor of the Year.

Purcell, who is gay, was ranked at number 16 this year on PinkNews.co.uk’s 50 most powerful gay, lesbian and bisexual people in British politics.

The 37-year-old has been tipped as a future leader of Scottish Labour and is the most powerful gay man in Scottish politics.

This is the first time the Councillor of the Year award has been given.

Purcell was commended for his promise of a “living wage” to local authority workers, along with securing the

He was praised for his work to guarantee a “living wage” to thousands of local authority workers, as well as for bringing the 2014 Commonwealth Games to the city.

A councillor since 1995, Purcell was elected, unopposed, as leader of Glasgow city council in May 2005 at the age of 32.

Since coming out in 2006, his sexuality has never been an issue either with voters or political opponents and it is rarely mentioned.

Finance secretary John Swinney was named Politician of the Year.

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