GLASGOW Council leader Susan Aitken has said there are no plans to name the new Govan-Partick bridge after political activist Mary Barbour, despite calls from the community.
Aitken said she would prefer a name to emerge “organically” — like the "Squinty Bridge" for the Clyde Arc — as she said it will remain known as the "Govan-Partick bridge" at this stage.
She added the council has received numerous suggestions to name the bridge after individuals, with comedian Billy Connolly and football manager Alex Ferguson put forward.
River Clyde rescuer George Parsonage and trade unionist Jimmy Reid have also been proposed.
Govan Community Council, backed by Govan Green councillor Dan Hutchison, has asked for the bridge to be called the "Mary Barbour bridge".
Councillor Imran Alam, Labour, who also represents Govan, asked whether the move was being considered at a full council meeting on Thursday.
Barbour brought together tenants’ movements in Govan and Partick to campaign for the freezing of rents during the First World War.
The 1915 rent strike led to rents across the UK being fixed at pre-war level for the rest of the conflict. Barbour became one of the city’s first women councillors in 1920.
There is a statue of the campaigner at Govan Cross and the community council believes linking the two could encourage people to learn more about Barbour and other heritage attractions in Govan.
“Our community fought for her statue at Govan Cross and now the community council is leading the charge to name our new bridge in her memory.”
In response to Alam’s question, Aitken said: “At this stage, there is no intention for the name to be anything other than the Govan-Partick bridge given the important role it will play in reinstating the historic link between the two communities.”
She said she did not want to downplay Barbour’s place in the city’s history and “important role in the fight for tenants rights and against predatory landlordism”, adding it is “absolutely right she has been commemorated with a statue in Govan”.
But she added: “A tradition has emerged in the city of unofficial names for bridges emerging organically and sticking and I suspect that might happen again. I would be more than happy for that to be the case.”
The council leader also said there was recently a “full process” in Sighthill, including suggestions from the community and school pupils, to name its new bridge. “The outcome of this exercise resulted in the bridge being named Sighthill Bridge."
Hutchison said he fully supports the community council’s campaign to name the bridge in “honour of one of Glasgow’s greatest champions”.
He added: “I think it’s particularly apt that the bridge connecting Govan and Partick is named after the woman who led one of the largest rent strikes across the two communities and played a central role in the radical history of the Red Clydeside.”
