The former Lord Provost, Eva Bolander, whose expenses claims included £1,150 for 23 pairs of shoes.
By Democrat reporter
Glasgow City Council has elected a new Lord Provost after the former provost resigned following criticism of her expenses claims.
The SNP minority administration will now be led by Councillor Philip Braat of Scottish Labour.
This remarkable turn of events has come about because the SNP’s first lord provost ever Eva Bolander who held the post until her expenses, which included claims for 23 pairs of shoes, were exposed.
She resigned in October, vowing to pay back £2,000 of the £8,000 she claimed.
While she maintained that her spending was “within the rules” she “apologised unreservedly”.
- Glasgow Lord Provost Eva Bolander resigns after expenses row
- Lord provost claimed 23 pairs of shoes on expenses
- Expenses row former provost to repay £2,000
Cllr Braat, 43, has been serving as Depute Lord Provost since 2017.
His election as provost, by 45 votes to 39, is the first time in recent years in Glasgow when a new provost has not come from the governing party.
Cllr Braat, whose ward covers the Anderston and Yorkhill areas and part of the city centre, said: “I’m immensely proud to have been trusted with this role by the city of my birth.
“I will work every day to repay that trust and to advocate for Glasgow’s dynamic, diverse and passionate communities.”
Cllrs Philip Braat (Labour) and Eva Bolander (SNP) at the Lord Provost’s office.
Labour Cllr Braat is known to be super honest having once declared the gift of a small pot of honey from the Glasgow Beekeepers’ Association.
Since he was first elected to the council in 2007, he has held a series of senior positions including city treasurer and convener of Strathclyde Pension Fund and convener of the former Strathclyde Police Authority.
Councillor Bolander was the first SNP politician to become Lord Provost. The SNP came to office after the 2017 council elections but does not have an overall majority.
Every other Lord Provost since Glasgow City Council in its modern form was created in 1996 has come from Labour, as have most Lord Provosts since the 1930s.
However, there have been occasions in the past when the Lord Provost has not been from the governing party – sometimes as a result of crossover after the council changed hands.
In the late 70s the council had no overall political control – there was a Conservative leader but a Labour Lord Provost.
