TODAY is, without doubt, the most important day of the year for all councillors and the political groups that they represent.

Full Council will convene to discuss one subject and one subject only; Glasgow City Council’s annual budget. By the end of the afternoon a decision will have been made and the priorities and ambitions of the council will be firmly set for the next year.

As has been the case for the past decade, the council will again be forced to find savings because of decisions taken by SNP politicians in Edinburgh.

Since 2013/14, the Scottish Government has seen a modest growth in its income of just over 3%.

During the same period Glasgow’s budget has been cut by 11%. In total, the people of Glasgow have lost north of £300 million. Every aspect of council services has suffered as a result.

The scale of the cuts this year are, admittedly, less than we originally feared. Apologists for the administration in Holyrood will no doubt tell us how generous they have been, but we will still have to find £13m in cuts. Once again, the Scottish Government’s income has gone up and ours is going down.

Glasgow Labour will be presenting a budget that we believe reflects the priorities of our citizens and the needs of our city.

A budget that reflects the particular circumstances we face emerging from the Covid pandemic and economic and other challenges that we will face over the coming years.

At its heart, the Labour budget is one that puts money in people’s pockets and creates jobs while protecting vital services.

We will invest £2m per year for the next three years in a scheme to create a cleaner, greener Glasgow.

This will create up to 430 jobs and provide training and qualifications for those struggling to get back into work.

The scheme will complement existing projects, originally introduced by Labour administrations, which get people into work and improve the general environment of the city.

Our neighbourhoods are going downhill, huge swathes of public realm and open spaces look like they have not been properly maintained for years. We can change that.

We also intend to support hard-pressed families.

Our budget includes an enhancement to the Schools Clothing Grant, increasing it to £130 per year, the most generous level in Scotland.

Almost thirty thousand school students and their families would benefit as a result.

Labour has been able to propose these innovative and crucial investments while still protecting core services.

We will not be taking a single additional penny out of education or social work, we will not be increasing the council tax. We have targeted our resources where they are most needed and can be most effective. We have listened to our voters and our communities and made building back Glasgow our priority.

For a budget to pass today, it will take the support of more than any single party on the council.

Labour is ready and willing to reach out to other parties who share our ambitions and concerns for the city.

The current administration appears to be content with managed decline, we believe that Glasgow deserves better. Come and join us.