Millionaire bids to help jobless

Jim McColl has been named chairman of Glasgow Works (Route 1), which hopes to get 17,200 people off benefits and into work or training by 2010.

Mr McColl bought Glasgow-based Weir Pumps for £100m in May, a move that was credited with saving 600 jobs.

Glasgow Works comprises of leaders from the worlds of business, health and enterprise.

Since 1995 Glasgow has enjoyed the fastest growth in jobs in the UK with more than 60,000 jobs created, resulting in 40,000 Glasgow residents finding employment.

However, the city continues to have lower average employment rates than the rest of Scotland, with the latest figures showing it has 98,950 claiming benefits, with 56,690 on incapacity benefit.

'Real contender'

Mr McColl, who began his career as an apprentice at Weir Pumps and is now worth an estimated £435m, said he believed unemployment was the key issue facing Glasgow.