GLASGOW councillors last night effectively dumped controversial museums and art galleries director Julian Spalding, selecting instead the wife of former Scottish Labour official Jack McConnell to head a new super department.

Mr Spalding had been on the short-list for the #71,000-a-year post of director of culture and leisure services at Glasgow City Council - the newly created department takes in museums and galleries as well as parks and libraries - but a panel of senior councillors chose Bridget McConnell, currently the community services manager of Fife Council.

Her husband, Jack, was until last month the general secretary of the Labour Party in Scotland when he retired to set up a new company which will lobby the Scottish Parliament. Mrs McConnell will head up a department with a budget of #94m - more than five times greater than her Fife department.

The decision to pass over Mr Spalding is likely effectively to end his high-profile, colourful and extremely controversial career with the council. Although he could be appointed as one of the two deputies to Mrs McConnell, it is thought more likely he will opt to leave the local authority.

The five-member selection panel which met yesterday was headed by council leader Frank McAveety, a former convener of the museums and art galleries department who worked closely with Mr Spalding.

Mr John Brown, Glasgow Council's head of public relations, said last night: ''The committee made the appointment on merit and Bridget McConnell has a strong track record in the field.''

The restructuring process that led to Mr Spalding effectively having to apply for his own job resulted from the council's desire to save money by merging four departments (museums and galleries, performing arts and venues, parks and recreation, and libraries) into one. It coincided with the departure of three of the four directors. Mr Spalding, as

the only remaining director of the departments being merged, was interviewed for the new post before it was advertised.

As well as Mr Spalding, there were three other internal candidates: Christine Hamilton, acting director for performing arts; Brian Porteous, acting director for parks and recreation; and Bill Bell, acting director for libraries.

Mr Spalding put his name forward last month despite failing to secure the post before it went out to general applications. It was advertised at a salary of #8000 more than that currently paid to Mr Spalding.

He conceded last month that: ''Having failed once, it will be difficult to bounce back''. But he insisted that his experience in Sheffield and Manchester, where his responsibilities extended across the arts, made him a strong candidate.

However, he had ruffled many feathers in his career, not least those of the unions who objected to a number of cost-cutting exercises. His populist touch infuriated many of Britain's art elite.

A senior council source said last night that there was no internal score-settling in the decision not to choose Mr Spalding.

''The decision was made on the basis of who the best candidate was. Julian Spalding's presentation was far from the best and regardless of who Bridget McConnell is, she stuck out as the top candidate.''