A Manifesto for Glasgow
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A Manifesto For Glasgow VOTE SNP Council Elections 4th May Our challenge is to treat the “great city of Glasgow with the respect it deserves: to set our hearts and our heads on making Glasgow the best place to raise a family, to start a business, to live a good life – a great European city that is mindful of its past, and confident in its future.“ Councillor Susan Aitken For Langside SNP Group Leader Glasgow City Council 2 A Manifesto For Glasgow #VoteSNP Glasgow has been many things: a huddled medieval city around the High Street and Cathedral; a great merchant city; an engineering and shipbuilding powerhouse. Today we are the engine of Scotland’s economy, and its economic, sporting business and cultural capital. But we can be more: the SNP have bigger ambitions for Glasgow and its people. We will work to improve life chances and life choices for all of our citizens. We will improve our local environments, encouraging economic recovery in every corner of the city. Our communities will be reconnected, with each other and with the city centre. Our children will see their horizons widened, with opportunities to work, learn and play. We will give Glasgow back to the people. Glasgow doesn’t belong to any one group of people or to any political party. Our city belongs to all of us and we all have a role to play in building a better Glasgow. We commend our programme to you and hope that you give us your support to build the future Glasgow deserves. #ForGlasgow Council Election 2017 3 Every policy contained in this manifesto aims to contribute to our long-term goals of lifting children, households and communities out of poverty; reducing the gap in healthy life expectancy; giving every child and young person an equal chance to fulfil their potential; regenerating neighbourhoods; and ensuring that every citizen and every community feels that they have a stake in the city and can benefit from Glasgow’s future success. Some of the links between the policies set out here and our overarching social justice agenda will be obvious: our intention to eradicate the attainment gap in our schools and our aim to create more jobs in parts of the city where people currently struggle to find local work, for example. With others the connection may not appear so immediate, but they will have an important impact: our pledge to implement Low Emissions Zones will bring significant public health benefits for everyone, but especially for the old, the sick and the poor. Our policies will be implemented in the ways that give them the best chance of being successful: by focusing on early intervention and prevention and helping people and communities where and when they need it; by working in partnership with everyone who has the experience, ideas and commitment needed to drive change. Above all, we will put people and communities in charge of what happens to them. This is a manifesto that aims to deliver a long-term, sustainable transformation for the people and communities who need it most. It is for the shared benefit of every single Glaswegian. We don’t pretend to have all the answers and we know that the deep-seated effects of neglect that some parts of the city have suffered will not be reversed overnight. But we believe that a fairer, more equal Glasgow is possible - one where we all have an equal chance regardless of our background or our postcode. We are determined to make this happen. 4 A Manifesto For Glasgow #VoteSNP Creating a fairer and more “ equal Glasgow is the thread that runs through this entire manifesto. Social justice will be the driving force behind an SNP City Government. “ Councillor David McDonald For Greater Pollok SNP Group Deputy Leader Glasgow City Council #ForGlasgow Council Election 2017 5 Our Policy Plan For Glasgow 8 Democratic Renewal 10 Empowering Communities 12 A Thriving Economy 14 Education & Skills 16 Health, Care & Wellbeing 18 Housing & Regeneration 6 A Manifesto For Glasgow #VoteSNP 20 Transport & Travel 22 A City for Living 24 A Better Environment 26 Sustainable City 28 Culture & Sport 30 A Better Glasgow #ForGlasgow Council Election 2017 7 Democratic Renewal An SNP City Government will be more than just an administration. We will provide leadership and vision for ‘Team Glasgow’. We will throw open the doors of the City Chambers - the era of deals and decision-making behind closed doors will end. The SNP’s commitment: • Transparency, openness and the highest standards of governance • A Citizens Charter, setting out your rights and our responsibilities • Improved scrutiny of decisions and spending • Opportunities for citizens to engage and influence • Partnership working with all those who can help us build a better Glasgow • A better relationship and fairer deal for Council staff • Supporting and valuing Glaswegians in all their diversity The SNP will bring “ transparency, openness and accessibility to Glasgow’s democratic life and the way the Council carries out its business. “ Eva Bolander 8 ForA Manifesto Anderston For Glasgow / City / Yorkhill #VoteSNP We will publish a plan outlining what we wait for a fair settlement. The SNP will settle want to achieve in our first 100 days as a City all outstanding equal pay claims this Council Government. term. Above all, we will be a City Government that Championing diversity and equality listens and responds to our citizens about for Glasgow what they want from their local services, what they expect in return for their local The SNP believes that Glasgow’s diversity is a tax contributions, and what their hopes fundamental source of our city’s vitality and and ambitions are for Glasgow, for their spirit and we will do all we can to protect, communities and for their families. support and empower every Glaswegian. Our policies and decision making will be regularly Working with others for Glasgow subjected to independent gender and equalities audits to ensure we are delivering An SNP City Government will never shy away fairly for all our citizens. from making the most robust and passionate case for Glasgow’s interests. Our vision for We will embed ‘Equally Safe’ - Scotland’s Glasgow won’t be achieved by a Council that national strategy to prevent violence against works in isolation, plays favourites, constantly women and girls - in all the work the council seeks to assert control or obsesses about who does and adequately support and resource gets credit. We will work with anyone with organisations supporting women and girls the talent, vision, and drive to make Glasgow who have experienced violence and abuse. better, whatever their political affiliations. We will also establish a Refugee and Asylum- We will re-join COSLA, putting the city back Seeker Voices Forum and look at how to where it should be, leading the argument and respond to Westminster legislation restricting the country when it comes to the allocation our ability to provide support for asylum- of funding and focus on building a positive, seekers. constructive relationship with the Scottish Government – one that actually delivers the We will work with LGBT+ organisations to best results for Glasgow. achieve our ambition of making Glasgow the best place in Europe for LGBT+ people to live A new era for employment relations in and visit. for Glasgow We will create a Carer’s Forum for carers to The people who work for Glasgow City meet directly with Councillors. Council are its most vital asset. But instead of showing staff how much they are valued, To find out more, visit: the last five years of Labour rule in Glasgow snpforglasgow.scot/Manifesto/Democratic have seen more attacks on the terms and conditions of council staff than ever before - with more strikes and industrial action as a result. We will engage constructively with trade unions to give our staff a fairer deal. We will retain our staff within the Council family, pay the living wage, and commit to no compulsory redundancies. Thousands of low-paid women who suffered from discriminatory pay policies continue to #ForGlasgow Council Election 2017 9 Empowering Communities Glasgow’s sense of community is one of our city’s biggest assets, but we know that the Council’s traditional top-down approach to dealing with our communities has failed. The SNP’s commitment: • Devolve £1 million to each council ward • Launch a Neighbourhood Empowerment Policy • Remove barriers to participation • Create a Community Empowerment Unit within the Council • Develop better funding models for third sector and community organisations An SNP City Government will put “neighbourhoods at the heart of our new open, transparent and democratic work to build healthier, more sustainable and equitable communities which are confident in shaping their own future.“ Kaukab Stewart 10 ForA Manifesto Partick For Glasgow East / Kelvindale #VoteSNP We will request actions be taken and - The SNP will give crucially - devolve money to invest in local priorities. We are committed to giving at least real strength and £1 million to every Council, with local people making the decisions about how to spend it purpose to the city’s to bring about long-term transformational community planning investment in their neighbourhoods. structures, pass new An SNP City Government and its partners will ensure the advice and resources required rights to communities for this historic change are readily available, that communities across the city have the to identify local capacity they need to make the most of these opportunities, and that barriers to needs. participation are removed. We will support the development and growth of organisational models that will allow people to successfully To find out more, visit: take charge of their local assets and manage snpforglasgow.scot/Manifesto/Empowering projects.