Thomas Kerr: Glasgow is rapidly deteriorating under SNP rule

This was an interesting turn of phrase for a politician who seems to be doing her hardest to ride roughshod over the wishes of Glasgow residents and whose misguided policies are causing active harm to those she is meant to represent.

As a Conservative I believe in localism, that is why I have been so concerned about the SNP’s relentless drive to centralise power and control to the drawing room of Bute House. Unfortunately, their party hacks that run Glasgow City Council have been completely silent while the centralisation agenda marches on. 

Susan Aitken

Instead, the SNP in Glasgow like to preach about a superficial kind of community empowerment that in reality seeks to displace accountability and shift responsibility from local authorities to individuals. 

While Susan Aitken claims such an assessment of her policy platform is “bad faith misrepresentation” by political opponents, unfortunately for her the only verdict that matters is the people of Glasgow’s. And the findings are damning.

Barely a day goes by that we’re not inundated with more reports of the rapidly deteriorating state of the city under SNP rule. From fly-tipping to overflowing bins and unmaintained public spaces, Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that Glasgow is ‘ready’ to host the UN environmental conference rings more and more hollow by the day. 

Rather, the SNP’s contempt for Glasgow’s cleansing workers was laid bare last week when the council accused its trade union representatives of “staging stupid stunts” when they launched a campaign to raise awareness of the city’s rodent infestation. 

It’s no wonder the SNP don’t want to talk about the cleansing crisis they’ve created – they don’t even acknowledge it exists – but to attack our staff who are doing their best to clean up the city, with one hand held behind their back by the SNP, really is beyond the pale.

Unfortunately, the people of Glasgow are well used to the SNP’s desperate deflection tactics. 

From taking £100 from the pockets of the city’s pensioners in the middle of a pandemic to hiking nursery fees for hardworking parents, Glasgow’s SNP Administration always seems to find a way to blame someone else for their own failure. The truth is that these cuts are political decisions made by a Council Leader who always puts party over city when it comes to standing up for Glasgow.

The Scottish Government’s own recently released statistics show that we benefit from a fiscal transfer from the rest of the UK to the tune of around £2000 per person. 

There isn’t a single leftwing party I know of that pits itself against the principle of redistribution of wealth, but of course the SNP aren’t a left-wing party – they are a nationalist party. 

The choice of what to do with this union dividend lies with the Scottish Government and instead of squandering it on duplicating (and undermining) the work of UK Embassies abroad, or funding their legion of Holyrood spin doctors, the SNP should be directing that money towards local services here in Glasgow.

Kerr claims Labour, led by Malcolm Cunning, is missing in action

If we had a council leader who was willing to champion Glasgow then we would hear her shouting from the rooftops demanding this support for the city. Instead, it’s been radio silence from the City Chambers. That needs to change. 

If you believe you can be a true champion of your local community, and for the city of Glasgow, please get in touch with me directly in the run up to next year’s local government elections. 

The Labour Party in Glasgow has been missing in action for four years and haven’t been able to land a glove on the SNP. 

If you wish to join the only true opponents to the nationalists in Glasgow then now is the time to step forward. Together, we can turn a page on the SNP’s mismanagement of this city.