The leader of Inverclyde Council has been crowned the best in Scotland at a prestigious national awards ceremony.

Councillor Stephen McCabe was named Scottish Local Politician of the Year at The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2022 last night, Thursday 24 November 2022.

The judging panel chose Cllr McCabe as the winner ahead of his counterparts in the cities of Edinburgh and Dundee, who were also shortlisted for the prestigious national honour.

The Herald praised Cllr McCabe’s role in Inverclyde Council’s ‘progressive policies’ for supporting local people with the cost of living crisis, including the one-off £350 grant provided to some 10,000 low-income families earlier this year, as reasons for the award.

Cllr McCabe said: “This is a huge honour for me personally but also for the council and the people of Inverclyde and I’m absolutely delighted with this recognition for both myself and the area as a whole against two huge cities.

“I’d like to thank the judges and those who nominated me for this award.

“Congratulations to my fellow nominees. It’s not an easy job being a council leader at the best of times but especially in the current climate and they too deserve praise for the work they do serving their respective communities.

“Our progressive policies for supporting Inverclyde residents with the cost of living crisis, including the one-off £350 grant for around 10,000 local households earlier this year, were mentioned as reasons for me winning this award.

“These policies cannot be delivered without the support of fellow councillors and council officers – and often alongside our excellent third sector.

“It’s this ethos of partnership working to support our communities through initiatives like the council’s cost of living support packages and the socio-economic task force that stands Inverclyde apart and cements our place as a caring, compassionate and collaborative place with the shared goal of improving the lives of the people we serve.”

The award recognises the achievements of a politician working within one of Scotland’s 32 local authorities.

The recipient must demonstrate outstanding and innovative public service and commitment to the community they serve.