VIRTUALLY every conversation people are having is about how to cope with the massive increases in the cost of living and how people are able to pay their energy bills and cover the whopping increases in costs of weekly shopping.

For Glaswegians – a city full of resilient citizens – the ingenuity and capacity to have creative solutions to problems.

Where are the big ideas to transform how the city looks?

Where are the partnerships to demonstrate the city facing up to its enormous challenges?

Where is the leadership that the city requires to have its
voice heard at all levels of decision making in this
country?

Labour stands ready to play our part in the city’s recovery.

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Our city cannot recover if we are not prepared to stand up to the actions of Nicola Sturgeon and her Ministers, instead we have a meek compliance of accepting annual Budget cuts and the continued defenestration of Local Government.

The recent statement of the Scottish Finance Minister should send a chill down the backbone of every worker in Local Government with the trade unions predicting the loss of 30,000 jobs over the next few years.

The further tragedy is that while people worry about the cost of living and receive fewer Council services, the SNP Government is seeking to have a re-run of the Referendum of 2014. Or maybe not: It intends
to publish a series of underwhelming papers to placate its true believers
that the First Minister is still
an Indy enthusiast. If it
wasn’t so tragic – it would be laughable.

It’s like a constant rerun on channel Dave of the SNP’s favourite obsession – talking about the only thing it is interested in.

Never talking about the sluggish economy – that is unproductive and dependent on the taxpayers subsidising low wages.

Never talking about a serious programme of regenerating our city centre. It will take much more than £2 million to deal
with the eyesores across some of our main retail areas such as Argyle Street and Sauchiehall Street.

Never addressing the continued neglect of the Glasgow School of Art – one of our cultural city jewels – and the distinct lack of energy and drive from the City Leadership on issues that really matter to the people of Glasgow.

Only last month voters in Glasgow sent a message to the SNP in the city – Labour are now neck and neck with them – only one councillor short and we are determined to, in the words of a former SNP First Minister, “Hold their feet to the fire” as we believe that Glasgow has been promised so much but has consistently been let down by a lack of ambition and a failure to think big for the city and our great citizens.

As a product of our city I want Glasgow and its citizens to have the very best. In the recent past we were the envy of the world through our culture, architecture, sport and music.

Our ambition for Glasgow should have no bounds.