NEXT year will mark a century since crowds lined Maryhill Road to watch the first leader of the Labour Party journey to his final resting place.

Keir Hardie, one of Britain's most notable politicians, was born in North Lanarkshire but grew up in Glasgow.

His family moved to Govan and his first job, aged just seven, was as a message boy for the Anchor Line Steamship Company.

By the age of 11 he was a coal miner and by 17 he had taught himself to read and write.

He died at the age of 59 and his funeral and cremation took place at the Western Necropolis.

This week, Maryhill councillor Martin Rhodes will ask the city council to agree that the centenary of Hardie's passing should be marked with a plaque in the graveyard.

And he is also calling for a bust of the great man to be taken out of storage and put on public display.

For years it has been kept in a Glasgow Life storage facility, which sits on the route along which the politician's funeral procession travelled.

Hardie's career in politics began with the setting up of a workers' union at his colliery and, in 1881, he led the first-ever strike of Lanarkshire miners.

In 1892, Hardie was invited to stand as the Independent Labour candidate for West Ham in London.

He took a seat in Parliament and went on to lead the Labour Party.

After he resigned, he spent the rest of his life campaigning for votes for women, self rule for India and an end to racial segregation in South Africa.

Mr Rhodes said: "I didn't know until a couple of years ago that Keir Hardy's funeral had taken place in Maryhill.

"A report of the funeral records how people came out on to the street as the cortege went past - many of them women.

"A plaque would be a way of marking the centenary of his passing and his links with Glasgow and, in particular, Maryhill.

"I will be suggesting we mark the anniversary in a respectful way.

"I also discovered there is also a sculpture of Hardie by artist Benno Schotz, which is in the possession of the city council.

"It is in storage in Lochburn Road, which is on the route of the funeral procession. I want the statue to be put back on public display."

vivienne.nicoll@eveningtimes.co.uk