IN just a few weeks, residents in the Partick East/Kelvindale and Baillieston wards will go to the polls to elect councillors in what will be crucial by-elections for Glasgow City Council.

After three and a half years of the SNP running Glasgow into the ground, voters will get a chance to deliver their verdict on how local services are being run.

Our first nationalist administration doesn’t have much to be proud of – bin collection cuts, bulk uplift charges, potholes, ungritted streets, rats roaming freely and accusations of bullying still hanging over the leadership of the SNP. With that kind of local record, it’s no surprise one of the SNP candidates said last week, “an independent Scotland is number one priority”. Something which I’m sure most readers would agree with me should be our last priority – the last thing Glasgow needs is another grandstanding councillor who’ll be dedicated to the constitution, not his constituents.

Last week, Conservative members met to determine our party’s candidates for these two by-elections. I was overwhelmed with the quality of brilliant candidates who put themselves forward and was delighted that Naveed Asghar, a small business owner, was selected for Partick East/Kelvindale, and John Daly, a former primary headteacher, for Baillieston.

Both our candidates will bring a wave of experience into the election and the council if elected.

Naveed knows first-hand the dreadful record of the SNP in Glasgow when it comes to small businesses and John knows just how damaging SNP policies have been for our children.

The Glasgow Conservatives will take the fight head-on in both these seats, focusing on local issues which the SNP have neglected. We’ll fight against bin collection cuts and bulk uplift charging and for the Scottish Government to start funding our council more fairly.

Unlike Susan Aitken, my boss is not the First Minister, it’s you, the people of Glasgow. My team and I will continue to fight for our city and these by-elections give us the perfect opportunity to do so.

Make no mistake: in both these seats, only the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party is strong enough to beat the SNP – a vote for anyone else is a wasted vote.

Glasgow Labour simply aren’t up to the job, they’ve shown since 2017 to be only interested in self-preservation, not bringing down the SNP. They’re weak on the Union and opposing Susan Aitken.

As for the Greens, well, we all know that is just a vote for a backbench SNP councillor.

Since 2017, Conservative councillors have punched well above our weight in the council, fighting for local services and our communities but also highlighting the scandals that lie at the heart of Glasgow’s SNP Administration.

From expenses scandals to resignations over bullying, to jet-setting around the world ... the SNP leadership in Glasgow isn’t interested in standing up for our city, they’re completely out of touch with reality.

On March 18, I’d urge all residents in both Baillieston and Partick East/Kelvindale to back candidates who will focus on local services, not SNP drones who’ll wave through votes on Catalonian independence while Glasgow’s bins sit uncollected.

Elect two champions who will fight for Glasgow and work with the Conservative Group to continue holding this SNP administration accountable. In just three and a half years we’ve shown you what a Glasgow Conservative Group can do –lend us your votes and I promise we’ll continue fighting against the nationalists and putting Glasgow first.