Story: Steven Purcell, the leader of Scotland's largest council has came out of the closet as gay and left his wife.
This in itself doesn't seem too striking a story and indeed if all there is behind the NotW article is a man who has honestly embraced what he thinks is his sexuality, thus making life with his wife impossible, then it could almost be said it is an admirable thing for him to do.
However, if, as this article suggests the real reason he has outed himself is to pre-empt a leak by Labour Party colleagues that would have politically damaged him, then it becomes less honest and less admirable since it would then be a case of self-preservation as a politician over the relationship with his wife which he would have apparently been quite happy to maintain if not for this threat.
Which it is, I guess we'll never know but it would be a sad situation indeed if elected representatives really place their political career over their personal committments.
One can but hope that his wife will find in the whole thing a way to rebuild her life and take what good there was in the marriage as fond memories.
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