LABOUR faced calls to apologise today after a council by-election bungle left the winner disqualified from office within hours of the poll.

Mary McNab was elected in the city’s North East ward, one of three Labour wins on November 22 in a trio of by-elections sparked after incumbents Patricia Ferguson and Maureen Burke were elected to the British Parliament in July’s general election, and Keiran O’Neill took up a senior political post within the GMB. 

But Ms McNab failed to resign from her employment at the council within 24 hours of her win, as required under the Scottish Local Government Act 1973, rendering her unable to take her seat and potentially forcing another by-election.