Former Glasgow provost Pat Lally dies

Pat Lally, a former Labour leader in Glasgow who also served as the city's lord provost, has died.

The long-serving politician, who was nicknamed Lazarus because of his comebacks, was 92.

Prior to local government reorganisation in the 1990s, he was leader of Glasgow District Council, before going on to be the city's Lord Provost from 1996 till 1999.

During his time in local government in the city, Glasgow hosted the 1988 Garden Festival and built the Royal Concert Hall - which was dubbed by some as “Lally's Palais''.

He also saw Glasgow become the European City of Culture in 1990 and the City of Architecture almost a decade later in 1999.

He was temporarily suspended from the Labour Party in 1997 after becoming embroiled in a “votes-for-trips'' scandal, but was later reinstated.

He left Labour - the party he joined in 1950 - in 2003, and ran unsuccessfully for Holyrood on three occasions, including a bid in 2007 as a candidate for the Scottish Senior Citizens Unity Party.

He was born in Glasgow and brought up in the city's Gorbals area, working initially in the clothing trade before going on to serve as a radar operator in the RAF during the Second World War.

His friend and biographer Neil Baxter said: “For nearly two decades Pat Lally was Scotland's highest-profile local politician.

“Widely credited with transforming his city's image through its inspired promotion under the cultural banner, he was driven, determined, inspiring, charismatic and rarely out of the news.

“He also had a sparkling sense of humour. Not averse to courting controversy if he felt it was in the interests of the people of Glasgow, Pat Lally bravely fought off a series of personal attacks, secure in the knowledge that he had dedicated his career to serving the city he loved with vision, passion and integrity.

“Pat's wife Peggy, to whom he was devoted, died in 2007. She had served alongside him during his provostship and as lady provost dedicated tremendous energy and goodwill to many charitable causes.''

His two sons Derek and Robert also paid tribute, saying: “We are very proud of all that our dad achieved and of his contribution to Glasgow and Scotland.

“A passionate Glaswegian, he was also a dedicated family man and a devoted husband, father and grandfather.'