GLASGOW’S Conservative group are urging the City Council to reinstate a cross-party public processions committee following the sectarian disorder.
It comes as violence erupted a Irish Republic and Loyalist marches recently. The local authority agreed to ban six scheduled marches last weekend.
The Tories will bring a paper before next month’s full council to appoint a designated chair person, for the committee, who can speak to the groups who want to protest in the city.
READ MORE: Glasgow loyalist group would be 'bitterly disappointed' if council banned weekend marches
Councillor Thomas Kerr said: “The people of this city have a democratic right to freedom of assembly, religion and expression and the actions of the council must not be seen to infringe on these rights or be perceived by the public to treat some groups differently to others.
“I believe an independent public processions committee with cross party representation will mean that all the communities of Glasgow will be able to have confidence in the fairness of the process.”
At last week’s full council, Labour leader Frank McAveety, said a cross-party working group was also need to tackle the increasing challenges facing Glaswegians.
Mr McAveety said it was important to “protect people’s right to protest” while looking after “the safety of residents”.
READ MORE: Orange lodge leader calls for 'respect' from marches ahead of weekend Glasgow parades
Leader of the Council, councillor Susan Aitken, said a cross-party working group was a “welcome intervention”.
Glasgow City Council has confirmed that the public processions committee is quasi-judicial which means it draws its membership from the council’s wellbeing, empowerment, community and citizen engagement committee - at which every party group is represented.
Councillor Susan Aitken said: “I agree that politicising this situation is unwise, unhelpful and dangerous.
“I wrote to Jackson Carlaw, privately, to make the very same point after another Conservative member used First Minister’s Questions to try and hold me personally responsible for violence and disorder in Govan.
“Unfortunately, his response was to say that he agreed with them - so I’m afraid Cllr Kerr’s own, very public, intervention is pure hypocrisy.”
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