SCOTLAND’S Finance Secretary refused to bail out Glasgow Council over its equal pay dispute, council leader Susan Aitken has revealed.

On being asked if she had approached Derek Mackay about financial support for the council, Ms Aitken confirmed she had and had been refused.

Ms Aitken said: “I spoke to the Finance Secretary if he thought it would be possible for the Scottish Government to meet the sum, not in any great expectation that he would.

"And he confirmed that would not be possible.”

The Glasgow Council leader has previously denied asking the Scottish Government for a bailout.

In February she tweeted “We will NOT & have not asked for a loan or a bailout from either the Scottish or UK govts.”

However, speaking to Channel 4 News Ms Aitken said the idea of a bailout had been discussed with Scottish Government Finance Secretary Derek Mackay.

She added:“We had that conversation largely to eliminate it as a possibility.

"I have never thought it was credible ever, or actually in any way responsible for Glasgow City Council to insist that people across Scotland pay the price for an issue that is entirely of Glasgow City Council’s own making.”

Unions claim the final settlement could reach as much as £500 million, although Glasgow Council says a figure has yet to be agreed on what it will pay thousands of workers.