TODAY, Glasgow City Council launch its blueprint for transforming the city’s famous “Z” – Sauchiehall Street, Buchanan Street and Argyle Street.

I’m sure readers will agree that, whatever is in the plan, some kind of action is desperately needed.

We Glaswegians have seen our city centre crumble over the past few years under the nationalists’ watch. The Covid pandemic only exacerbated a problem we were all aware of, but which, inexplicably, our city’s leaders refused to tackle.

Do you remember our city’s old motto? Glasgow, Scotland with Style ... that slogan was apt, as Glasgow was once a top destination for shopping trips, restaurants, nightlife and entertainment. However, council administrations of both red and yellow hues took their eye off the ball – and the consequences are there for all to see.

Now, our city centre is filthy and derelict.

Overflowing public bins, rubbish lying across the streets, graffiti and shops and buildings in a disgraceful state due to inaction.

When Susan Aitken announced her big idea last week – of using Compulsory Sales Orders to take some of our buildings back into use – my response was “meh!”

If memory serves me correctly, this idea has been spoken about for several years but, as usual, there’s been no action to match the talk.

The SNP-led council was rightly called out on this by property developer Sandy Easdale. He was planning on investing £20 million into redeveloping the old Watt Brothers store on Sauchiehall Street, only to be turned down by planning authorities.

As a member of the planning committee, I should point out that Councillor Aitken has no influence whatsoever on individual applications. But, as leader of the council, she is responsible for a department that lacks the imagination or drive to make our city more business-friendly.

As a Conservative, I recognise that only by creating such an atmosphere will we create a city centre worth visiting, not to mention jobs for local people.

So we wait with bated breath to see what will be contained in today’s new announcement by the council. One thing’s for sure, though: it must be radical.

The SNP-Green administration is already hammering businesses with its reckless, ill-conceived Low Emission Zone policy. It has destroyed the livelihoods of some private hire drivers and raised fears about the safety of women late at night. Nightclub boss Donald MacLeod is, understandably, concerned about the knock-on effects of LEZ on his sector too.

And for those critics who accuse me of being negative with no solutions of my own, I suggest they look at the Glasgow Conservatives’ Business and Growth Manifesto, which I launched last year. It’s bursting with ideas to transform our city centre.

Let’s see what today brings. But if it’s the same old tired talk, with no real plan of action, Glaswegians will once again pay the price for local leaders who lack imagination – and it’ll be up to opposition councillors to start rebuilding our city again.