LAST week Sauchiehall Street was dealt another tough blow as Marks & Spencer announced they were closing their store on the street after 87 years of trading. Not only is this awful news for the staff of the store but is another retail loss for our city centre.

Unfortunately, news of this kind is now becoming the new normal for Glasgow as our city centre struggles to keep its head above water. M&S’s closure follows on from big name losses like Debenhams, The Disney Store, GAP Buchanan Street, Topshop on Argyle Street, plus many more.

It is undoubtedly true that the coronavirus pandemic and a shift in shopping habits to more online shopping has had a huge factor in this, but Glasgow seems to be worse hit than other major cities.

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Why?

Part of the reason is that for years, both Labour and SNP councils have ignored the warning calls from our retail and hospitality sectors urging more action on the need for our city to adapt. For them it’s been talk after talk, working groups and committee papers but very little on the ground delivery.

All we seem to hear in the council from the cosy SNP/Labour/Green club is yet more calls for more talks, delays and working groups rather than taking bold action to give the city centre a fighting chance and defend jobs and businesses. The stark reality is that the current SNP council routinely ignore the needs of business. They are no fans of the private sector. They see investment and entrepreneurial spirit as a bad thing.

SNP council leader Susan Aitken does her best to avoid having to speak directly to those who are working to create jobs and growth, lest truth may be spoken to power.

For example, take the council’s City Centre Living Strategy, a proposal that I wholeheartedly support. It attempts to address the need for us as a city to bring more people back into the city centre to live. This is important as currently we lag behind cities like Manchester and Birmingham in making the city centre a place to live. My frustration though, like many council documents, is that it is full of big and bold ideas for the future but now three years on from the first draft being published there has been very little progress.

We’ve seen private businesses like the St Enoch Centre and Buchanan Galleries announce exciting plans they need to rejuvenate their businesses and keep attracting visitors to the city centre.

However, it seems that the council simply is just repeating its habit of talking about the problem than trying to take concrete actions.

Susan Aitken has had five years in power now and I have yet to witness the significant changes that she and her party promised the people of Glasgow. Instead, we’re looking at a city which faces a growing list of challenges - the council is struggling even to keep the streets clean and get bins emptied.

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I speak with businesspeople and investors who are aghast at the lack of engagement from the council and its continuing approach of talking a good game while taking little to no action.

Glasgow needs bold leadership, and it needs fresh ideas. It needs an administration that will work with the private sector as much as the public and third sector. Currently, that just isn’t the case and until that changes I fear that we are going to see the further decline of our great city.

Thankfully, Glaswegians can change course this May. The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly stood up for businesses during the pandemic and held SNP ministers to account for failing to get funding out the door quick enough to businesses who need it. We’ve also put forward our own suggestions to help business build back better. For example, we’ve pushed for a 75% rates relief for the retail sector for this financial year to give them a much needed shot in the arm.

Shortly I’ll be announcing my wider vision for the city centre and our city going forward. The Glasgow Conservatives will clean up the SNP’s mess and take real action to try and save our city centre.