Glasgow is my home and – in my slightly biased view – the greatest city in the world.
It is where I was born and where I have raised my family. It is full of fantastic people, vibrant communities and hope for the future.
But our great city – and the rest of our great country – has been failed. For the last six years, Glasgow has been run by an SNP council that has failed to stand up for our city when the SNP at Holyrood have failed it.
This is a council leadership with no ambition or desire to fight for our communities. At the same time, Glasgow’s budget – and the budget of all of our local authorities – has been slashed year-on-year by the SNP government and Nicola Sturgeon.
But this isn’t only happening in Glasgow. From the Borders to the northern isles, councillors of all parties are being forced by the Scottish Government into doing the unthinkable to balance the books.
Scottish Labour councillors – from Galloway to Shetland - are fighting day in and day out for their communities but they are facing cuts from the SNP government on an unimaginable scale. For the public, it means rises in income tax, charges and council tax all to pay for services that will get worse.
It means older people’s care happening on the cheap, libraries closing, services shuttered and opportunities for our young people lost. It creates a future where instead of unlocking our world-leading potential, the SNP try to lock our city into a pattern of managed decline. Because we can’t forget these are cuts made in Scotland, for Scotland by the SNP government, delivered by an SNP council too scared to stand up for their city.
Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken cannot stand up to her political bosses in Edinburgh – and no one in the SNP group will. On Thursday, while councillors from other parties nod through brutal cuts to our communities we know they don’t support, Glasgow Labour won’t pretend this is normal.
Enough is enough. But it isn’t just Glasgow that is staring down the barrel at damaging SNP cuts.
All of Scotland’s 32 councils – SNP, Labour or Tory run – are united in their opposition to this government’s cuts. Councillors of every political party – even the SNP– are angry and warning Sturgeon of the dire consequences, of the risk to the fabric of our society and even human life.
The public are being asked to foot the bill for public services that are getting worse by the week because this government underfunded councils for 15 years – even when budgets went up. A leaked Cosla document has warned more than 7000 jobs will be lost.
But Nicola Sturgeon is not listening. As usual, she is right and everyone else is wrong. The fact is that the First Minister is completely out of touch with reality. But she and her government are to blame.
People used to say the First Minister was competent. Now they say she is out of control. After 15 years of this SNP government, local government is in crisis, teachers are on strike and the NHS is on its knees.
Glasgow and our communities deserves better than SNP cuts, closures and strikes. Scotland needs change.
Step up to help quake victims
We are all heartbroken by the devastating scenes of the horrific earthquake in Turkey and Syria.
I have spent some wonderful times in Turkey and have close connections to the country and its wonderful people and my heart is breaking for those affected. It is difficult to comprehend the scale of destruction it has caused as the death toll continues to rise. But while the headlines might soon move on, the risk to life will not.
Too many must now live through a bitter winter without the basics for their survival or reconstruction efforts to begin. So while I want to send my condolences to all those who have lost a loved one in Turkey and Syria, I know it’s important we do more.
It is essential that we all step up at this critical time and Scotland and the UK should be at the forefront of this response. We must be outward- looking nations, committed to playing our part in the international community.
While our governments must be leading the way, every one of us can help. I know these are difficult times but anything that you can give to support the Disasters Emergency Committee appeal will make a huge difference to families who are suffering in Turkey and Syria.
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