Council chief defiant over Glasgow

THE leader of Glasgow City Council insisted Labour would see off the Nationalists in May’s local government elections and would retain its control of the flagship authority.

Local government elections take place in two months’ time and the fight for power in Glasgow is hotly contested between Labour and the SNP.

Labour only narrowly managed to secure a majority for its budget last month after a backlash from councillors who have been told they will not be standing again for the party in May.

Speaking yesterday at Labour’s Scottish conference in Dundee, council leader Gordon Matheson, said: “Glasgow is Scotland’s big success story – a city transformed in recent years under Labour leadership – and if our opponents think for one second that I am going to be the Labour leader that hands over control of Glasgow then they’ve got another thing coming.”

He highlighted some of his party’s achievements in the city, saying: “We were the first council to introduce the living wage, we’ve rebuilt 100 schools, created 80,000 jobs, installed 45,000 new kitchens and bathrooms and central heating systems in our social housing.

“Last year, Glasgow was the only major city in the UK where unemployment actually fell. Our school attainment levels are at their highest in our city’s history and we’ve got the best apprenticeship programme in the UK.”

But he added: “We never stand still. You can’t when you run a city, especially in a global downturn.” Matheson said Glasgow Labour had developed a “visionary” five-year policy platform pledging the council would create 1,000 jobs a year for young people, graduates and the over 50s, build 3,500 new homes for rent, and help first-time buyers, as well as expanding free childcare.