THE City of York Council’s Labour Group have insisted they are “100 per cent” behind plans to build a new community stadium.

York City chairman Jason McGill told The Press this week of his concern regarding the council’s “negative and underwhelming”

attitude towards the project.

That prompted Conservative leader Coun Ian Gillies to retort: “If Jason McGill wants a commitment of millions of pounds to be spent on York City now then, as an elected representative, I will have to disappoint him.”

However, Labour leader Coun David Scott, has now moved to clarify his party’s stance on the matter.

Coun Scott said: “The Labour Group are 100 per cent behind the project. I can understand Jason McGill’s frustrations at what seems like slow progress.

“There is a process to follow but what I’m more concerned about, at this time, is the political will of the Tories and Lib Dems on this proposal. Everything coming out from them is couched in language of dampening optimism.

“If they were fully behind the community stadium and truly believed it was deliverable then they would say so, but that has not been the case.”

City majority shareholder McGill welcomed the Labour Group’s “100 per cent unequivocal commitment” to the new stadium project, adding: “Our supporters, and those people in the city who truly want to see sport in York prosper, will be encouraged by this positive statement.”