MANIFESTO 2022 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

GLASGOW'S

FUTURE GLASGOW'S CHOICE

MANIFESTO

2022: OUR PLAN TO TAKE GLASGOW FORWARD EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The SNP’s success at the 2017 local government election brought the first change of political administration in Glasgow City Council for decades.

The task we inherited was immense: a huge bureaucracy too often disconnected from communities and citizens; historic under-investment in key services; a lack of strategic action on Glasgow’s deep-seated economic and social challenges; poor relationships with key partners; and an unwillingness to tackle difficult decisions such as the long-running equal pay scandal.

Overturning the failures of past Labour administrations has not been easy and while progress can take time, we remain determined to deliver change.

Today’s Council has been transformed from the one we inherited. Under the SNP, the Council now looks outwards to the city rather than inwards, and works closely with government, trade unions, businesses, universities, colleges, the third sector and local communities to deliver change that works for everyone.

Services are being reorganised with a neighbourhood and people-centred focus, responding more effectively to local issues and to the needs of individuals.

And driving everything we do are our core commitments to tackle poverty and inequalities, improve neighbourhoods and places, address the climate emergency and create better life chances for every Glaswegian.

In these pages, we set out how we are responding to our city’s challenges and taking Glasgow forward. Every day we work for a fairer, thriving, global Glasgow, where we pull together to solve problems and where the benefits of success are felt by all.

Susan Aitken Leader of Glasgow City Council

GLASGOW IN AN INDEPENDENT SCOTLAND Glasgow SNP will always place the interests of Glasgow and Glaswegians first – and we firmly believe that Glasgow’s interests will be best served in an independent Scotland.

Glasgow voted Yes to independence in 2014 and all the evidence today tells us that Glaswegians support Scotland’s right to choose in another referendum.

The Scottish Government has a democratic mandate to hold a referendum during the period of the next Council term when the Council will have the responsibility for running that vote.

Labour and the Tories have made it clear that they will do everything they can to block the right of Glaswegians and people across Scotland to make their choice freely and fairly. Unionist parties cannot be trusted to support the exercise of your democratic rights.

Independence will give Glasgow and Scotland the tools required to address our challenges, reap the rewards of our many assets and successes, rebuild a productive partnership with Europe, and take our rightful place as the social, economic and cultural heartbeat of a modern independent nation.

And so, at these local elections, Glasgow has a choice.

To move backwards with an anti-independence Labour party, supported by the Tories in a shady deal like they have in Aberdeen and North Lanarkshire Councils.

Or to move forward with an SNP team who will work every day to make Glasgow a better place to live and to make our city the pride of a successful, independent Scotland.

GLASGOW'S FUTURE GLASGOW'S CHOICE

RECOVERING FROM THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC COVID-19 changed all of our lives, and had a profound impact on our public services and economy, with many systemic inequalities made worse as a result. But throughout the crisis, our communities and frontline workers have risen to the challenge.

At the onset of the pandemic, Glasgow SNP immediately introduced new lifeline services to support the most vulnerable and those hardest hit – whether providing food, supplementing household incomes or supporting businesses, while still keeping the city running. In the toughest of times, Glasgow showed what it is made of.

And over the next five years, we will work to secure a fair, green and resilient recovery from the COVID pandemic – striving for a vibrant economy and a more inclusive and more equal city, supported by strong public services and empowered communities.

ADDRESSING LABOUR'S HISTORIC PAY INJUSTICE AGAINST WOMEN For over a decade, thousands of women working for Glasgow City Council were disadvantaged by a pay system – created by Labour in 2006 – that treated vital women workers as second class.

Labour spent years ignoring the women’s pleas for justice, choosing instead to spend millions of pounds of public money defending their gender discrimination in the courts while the eventual bill for compensation mounted up.

Women workers were denied money they were entitled to, while the people of Glasgow are now paying the price – £30m a year and counting for the next 30 years, money that could be spent on vital public services.

GLASGOW'S FUTURE GLASGOW'S CHOICE

The ongoing task of undoing Labour’s years of pay discrimination is lengthy, complex and expensive, however the SNP is determined to finish what we have started: finalising compensation for the women affected, with over £500million already paid out; putting in place a new, non-discriminatory pay and grading system; and drawing a line under the huge costs incurred.

TACKLING THE TORY COST OF LIVING CRISIS Households in Glasgow and across Scotland are facing a Cost of Living Crisis created in Westminster – with the Tories’ disastrous policies and callous cuts making it harder for people across the UK to heat their homes and put food on the table.

Household energy bills are rising due to Westminster's failure to protect consumers – in stark contrast to the Tories’ claims in 2014 that a No vote to independence would see energy bills drop. And the Tories’ harmful Brexit is pushing up costs for businesses, raising prices and hitting all of us in the pocket.

The Tories’ response to this emergency? Hiking our taxes, with National Insurance contributions for most people rising by over 10% - and heaping yet more austerity on vulnerable households, with Universal Credit being cut by £20 a week.

The SNP, meanwhile, is standing up to the Tories and working to help households impacted by their Cost of Living Crisis.

Here in Glasgow, we are investing Council resources in tackling the Cost of Living Crisis, with a new £3million Cost of Living Crisis Support fund targeting support to hard-pressed households – and we will continue to press the Tories at Westminster to take the action badly needed to bring spiralling costs and bills under control.

GLASGOW'S FUTURE GLASGOW'S CHOICE

WHAT WE HAVE DONE Glasgow SNP has a record of achievement for the city. In only five years, the SNP has: Compensated thousands of women workers for Labour’s historic gender pay discrimination, paying out over £500million so far.

Reformed Council structures, scrapping several arms-length bodies and improving the pay and conditions of thousands of workers.

Led the city through the unprecedented pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic and mobilised vital support for our most vulnerable citizens.

Pioneered the devolution of decision-making to local communities and opened funding opportunities for community and equalities organisations.

Successfully hosted COP26 – Scotland and the UK’s biggest ever international event – and established Glasgow as a world leader in the fight against climate change.

Secured Scottish Government backing for the construction of the Clyde Metro – a new, modern, sustainable public transport network.

Delivered the best ever results for Glasgow’s school-leavers going into jobs, training or further education – exceeding the Scottish average for the first time ever.

Delivered 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare annually for every 3 and 4 year old and eligible 2 year olds.

Delivered accessible support for children and families living in poverty, maximising household incomes.

Tackled food insecurity with initiatives such as the Holiday Food programme and the extension of free school meals.

Secured record levels of funding – almost half a billion pounds since 2017 – to build 5,500 affordable homes.

Transformed homelessness services, with the introduction of Housing First and the creation of the Glasgow Alliance to End Homelessness.

Established Scotland’s first Low Emission Zone to improve air quality and secured long overdue investment to clean up Glasgow’s bus fleet.

Invested in active travel infrastructure and improved public spaces, tackling the historic car-domination of Glasgow’s streets and creating new Spaces for People.

Secured record levels of inward investment and new jobs into Glasgow and worked to ensure new job opportunities are accessible to Glaswegians of all backgrounds.

WHAT WE WILL DO NEXT We have ambitious plans to build on the progress we have made over the past few years, taking Glasgow forward. A re-elected SNP Council will: Continue to attract jobs and investment to our city and develop and implement a Community Wealth Building Strategy for Glasgow, ensuring that economic benefits are felt locally in all of our communities.

Explore opportunities to reform city procurement policy to require that companies doing business with the Council pay the real Living Wage, and encourage other public and private sector organisations in Glasgow to do the same.

Deliver the Glasgow Green Deal to transition our city economy for a Net Zero future and progress and secure funding for the transformational projects in Glasgow’s Greenprint for Investment, including the Clyde Metro, an M8 Green Infrastructure Cap, and home energy retrofit.

Support the recovery of the City Centre, identifying opportunities for property repurposing to tackle vacant property and secure a sustainable mix of uses, and making better use of powers such as Compulsory Purchase Orders to tackle key sites.

Deliver our Climate Plan to make Glasgow a Net Zero carbon city by 2030, increase tree planting and local nature reserves, and tackle air pollution.

Work towards publicly owned and run bus services for Glasgow, utilising new powers from the Scottish Government for municipal services and franchising, and work with transport providers to deliver integrated ‘tap and cap’ smart ticketing by 2024.

Deliver more school car free zones and school streets, deliver our planned 270km City Cycle Network, and roll out our transformational Liveable Neighbourhoods approach for every single community by 2030 so that our local streets are safe and pleasant for everyone to walk, wheel, cycle, play and spend time in.

Deliver around 6,500 new affordable homes for the city using a record £480m of Scottish Government funding, and strengthen planning policy to ensure a proportion of affordable housing in new developments.

Support our vital heritage estate, working to secure investment for key city assets like the Winter Gardens and finding solutions for vacant Council heritage assets, and establish a Built Heritage Commission for the city.

Modernise outdated refuse and cleansing systems with new technology to better manage operations, invest £20million in new or upgraded cleansing depots, and renew the entire refuse collection fleet to zero emissions vehicles.

Ensure cleansing services fully recover from the impact of the pandemic, and deliver a new rolling programme of neighbourhood deep cleans every year.

Empower communities to direct spending of our recently delivered £1million per ward, totalling £23million, for neighbourhood infrastructure improvements such as roads and pavements, and upgrade street lighting across Glasgow.

Deliver 80,000 gift cards worth £110 to lower income families to help tackle the Cost of Living crisis – giving Glaswegians some extra spending power and supporting high street businesses – and target support to help maximise household incomes.

Further our work to promote equalities and tackle Violence Against Women, and continue to stand up to the Home Office to fight for fairer treatment of those seeking asylum.

Maintain our focus on tackling homelessness, rolling out Housing First and working to end rough sleeping.

Continue work to embed a public health approach to tackling addictions, and open a Safer Drug Consumption Facility as soon as legal barriers are removed.

Continue to improve attainment and positive destinations, building on the significant progress made since 2017, and support our fantastic education staff to deliver on these objectives.

Deliver universal Free School Meals for all primary school children.

Embed anti-racist education in the curriculum and continue to promote LGBT inclusive education.

Deliver a new or expanded primary school to serve the city centre and Gorbals, and expand Gaelic-Medium Education with a new Gaelic primary in Calton and an expanded Gaelic secondary at Berkeley Street with the primary there relocated.

Draw a line under Labour’s Equal Pay scandal by agreeing the final tranche of compensation for claimants and completing the implementation of a fair pay system for Council staff by 2023.

Improve the experience of interacting with the Council digitally, with a full re-design of the Council’s website and review of online apps.

Continue to reopen the remaining city venues that were closed due to the COVID pandemic, and protect the vital role of libraries in our city.

Explore the feasibility of a national museum dedicated to illuminating colonialism, imperialism and slavery based in Glasgow.

Build a sustained legacy for Glasgow from the unprecedented opportunity of hosting COP 26, and maintain Glasgow’s excellence in hosting events with forthcoming opportunities such as the Cycling World Championships 2023 and World Athletics Indoor Championships 2024.

Promoted by Jen Layden, on behalf of Glasgow SNP, both c/o the SNP, 3 Jackson’s Entry, Scotland, EH8 8PJ. Printed by Saltire Graphics, 60 Brook Street, Glasgow, G40 2AB.