GLASGOW’S council will ferry round its SNP ceremonial chief in a “show-stopping” Rolls-Royce luxury car — while slashing access to public services.

Announcing that it had been given by an anonymous donor today, Lord Provost Eva Bolander said the Rolls-Royce Ghost would help Scotland’s largest city “show its best face to the world.”

Its value has been placed at between £150,000 and £235,000 and it will carry the personalised numberplate G0. The council said it would replace one of the Volkswagen Phaeton cars used by civic officials and it is expected to “save the city money.”

But Labour MP Paul Sweeney said that cruising in a chauffeur-driven Roller was “Dickensian” as Glasgow doubles nursery fees and axes free swimming.

He said it should instead be auctioned off to “to fund services for Glaswegians.”

And Labour councillor Eva Murray criticised the SNP Lord Provost for failing to disclose the donor’s identity. “You couldn’t make it up,” she said.

Ms Bolander said in response to receiving the car: “On behalf of the city, I’d like to thank the donor for their civic generosity and philanthropy.

“I want Glasgow to show its best face to the world and this gift will help us do that. It’s a show-stopping car and a tremendous asset.”

But Mr Sweeney charged: “It’s Dickensian to have the Lord Provost of Glasgow swanning around in a new 8mpg chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce while local council services are cut by SNP austerity.”

He said the Rolls would strike the wrong note while the council is still failing to cough up compensation for low-paid women who have been fighting equal-pay claims.

“This Rolls-Royce is equivalent to the value of one equal-pay claim for [an outsourced] home carer,” he said. “The ‘G0’ civic registration plate is also worth several hundred thousand pounds.”

It is not the first chauffeur-driven cars controversy to hit the SNP. Last year it emerged that Scottish government cars were used on 308 occasions over the previous 12 months to deliver state documents across the country — with no ministers on board at the time.

And in 2016 it was revealed that SNP ministers had made at least 97 chauffeur-driven journeys of half a mile or less.

Conrad Landin is Morning Star Scotland editor.