THE SNP in Glasgow owe an apology to Glaswegians. Specifically, to the over-80s in our City for misleading them over the Affordable Warmth Payment. They can spin all they like, but the reality is that the over-80s will now receive £100 less – because of SNP cuts to Glasgow. 

But they also owe an apology to every single community across our city. Their one-year budget doesn’t do anything to help the long-term challenges our city faces. 

This week we saw the announcement of the People Make Glasgow Greener initiative. Any Glaswegian reading the headline may rejoice and celebrate as, on face value, it may look like the answer to the severe issues in cleansing that our city continues to face. 

With fly-tipping becoming more of a regular occurrence in our neighbourhoods, rats in backcourts now sadly a common sight due to overflowing bins and litter filled streets which should shame us all – maybe this was going to be the solution we needed.

Sadly – the reality couldn’t be any further from the truth. The initiative doesn’t include anything on recruiting more cleansing staff – feet on the ground – helping to clean up our city. Instead, the plan seems to put the onus on to residents and community organisations to do the job because the Council can no longer afford to.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for community litter picks. There have been some incredible examples across the city where these clean-up projects have allowed school children and residents to do their bit to make their local area a little tidier and gain some pride in their streets, but as much as they are a good thing, they are not the answer to the climate emergency that we face and the wider waste crisis that Glasgow finds itself in the midst of.

What we need is investment in jobs. We need this administration to listen to those workers who are going above and beyond in increasingly difficult circumstances without the financial support or capacity that they are screaming out for. 

It isn’t fair on our workers, who have added pressures put on to their workday or people in our communities who have seen a drastic decline in service delivery.

Last week, the Glasgow Labour Group presented a budget that included plans to support up to 430 people back into work through a Cleaner, Greener Glasgow initiative. 
We pledged to invest £6 million over three years, creating jobs, training and vocational qualification opportunities. 

The proposal would have supported frontline services and improved the quality of our neighbourhoods. 

It would have started the reversal of the devastation of neighbourhoods and cleansing departments by SNP administrations in Edinburgh and in Glasgow whilst supporting our citizens into secure, well-paid employment.

Glaswegians pay their taxes, they deserve at the very least to have their basic services delivered. 

Glaswegians shouldn’t be being asked to clear up the mess left by SNP cuts.

As voters in Baillieston and Partick East/Kelvindale go to the polls today – it is clear that managed decline is the extent of the SNP’s ambition for our city. We need local Champions who will stand up for our City – not for the SNP in Edinburgh.

Glasgow Deserves Better.