Glasgow boost

It WAS heartening to read Stuart Patrick, the chief executive of Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, point out that Glasgow is not really the jobless capital of the UK (Platform, 6 September). He gives good reasons to justify his opinion that, overall, Glasgow’s situation and problems are not greatly different from cities such as Liverpool, Manchester or Birmingham and in some areas, such as qualifications, Glasgow comes out stronger.

Glasgow’s problem is the very severe deprivation in certain areas of the city, which are only too well known.

Mr Patrick rightly gives another explanation for Glasgow’s poor rating. In the reorganisation of local authorities many years ago, the wealthy, high-
employment leafy suburban areas, such as Bearsden, Milngavie, Newton Mearns etc, were detached from Glasgow. I think this decision was misguided as these areas gained their wealth from Glasgow and they should take their share of dealing with the city’s problems.

If the suburban areas around Glasgow had been included by the Office of National Statistics in its survey, then it is likely that Glasgow would not have been labelled with a title that can only discourage the many people and organisations who are working hard to deal with Glasgow’s admitted employment problems in a post-industrial age.

Hugh M Mackenzie 

Bonnethill Road

Pitlochry, Perthshire