The SNP and Labour leaders in Glasgow continue to be at loggerheads over the city’s budget that passed last week.

Susan Aitken, SNP leader of the council and George Redmond, Labour Group leader, have accused one another of letting the city down.

The budget passed with almost £50 million of cuts, jobs to be cut through voluntary redundancy, a 5% council tax increase and other charges for services going up.

Writing in the Glasgow Times today, Aitken said had Redmond been council leader, Glasgow would be facing a “catastrophe”.

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She said Redmond “failed” to show any leadership and branded the group’s decision not to turn up to the meeting a “stunt”.

Redmond, writing in the Glasgow Times tomorrow hits back accusing the SNP of putting their goal of independence before public services in Glasgow and accuses the council leadership of “know-towing to leaders in Edinburgh.

Aitken said: “Unlike opposition parties, we didn’t have the luxury of throwing our hands up, walking away and then returning for lunch at the City Chambers café an hour later. Failing – or indeed refusing - to set a budget was never an option for us.”

She added: “Last May Labour group leader George Redmond, from an airport in Spain, launched an attempt to lead this Council. Yet the first time he’s called upon to show any kind of real leadership he’s nowhere to be seen.

“Had Cllr Redmond pulled a stunt as Council leader like he did last week and refused to take part in the budget, it would have been catastrophic for Glasgow.”

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Redmond dismissed the SNP claims of being dissatisfied at Holyrood.

He said: “How can SNP politicians in Glasgow go out and campaign for the very SNP politicians sitting in Holyrood, when they are wreaking havoc on public services here? If SNP Councillors in Glasgow believe that their colleagues at Holyrood are failing to listen to them, then how can they continue to support them?

He adds: “The truth is that the quality of public services here in Glasgow is subservient to their mission of independence.

“No matter how bad it gets, no matter what new charges have to be introduced or who suffers as a result of cuts, SNP politicians will never truly break ranks because the goal of Independence is worth all this suffering.”

Susan Aitken writes every second Wednesday and George Redmond every Thursday in the Glasgow Times.