It’s time
Walk round Glasgow and it’s not hard to see the scars caused by 15 years of cuts. Austerity budgets that disfigure the face of the city we all call home. We bailed out the bankers in 2008, and the government made us pay to the tune of £500 million stripped from our services. Yet, in the background private developers, private bus companies and private landlords are making ridiculous profits from our city; often transporting that wealth to tax havens on the other side of the world. This in a city where you can’t get a pothole repaired!
Glasgow and its people are no strangers to fighting for a better life for our communities, friends and neighbours. From the rent strikes of Red Clydeside, the city of defiance under Thatcher’s Poll Tax and the city of solidarity at Kenmure Street, we have a history of standing up and standing together to create a fairer city. People Make Glasgow, and people, as history proves, can shape a different Glasgow. With your support, Another Glasgow Is Possible will be standing candidates in the council elections in 2027 across all 23 wards.
We Want our Money back
We will raise a city-wide campaign to restore the £500 million stolen from the city during austerity, demanding both Scottish and Westminster governments repay what they owe Glasgow. We will refuse to set any more cuts budgets. From day one our councillors will begin work on drawing up a budget based on the needs of the people of the city.
The key to the housing crisis
The astronomical rents across the city can be directly traced back to Thatcher and her policy of selling off council houses. Today, Glasgow Council, the biggest in Scotland, does not have any council housing. We can return the 44,000 homes in the city owned by the Wheatley Group back to council ownership and build 10,000 council houses a year in the first five-year term of the council. We can use compulsory purchase orders to return empty properties to council ownership. We can ensure rent caps are implemented in the private rented sector and the social/council rented sector and set up a rent controls department to ensure landlords are complying with Scottish Government legislation.
The wheels on the bus go free
Over 100 cities have introduced free public transport, Glasgow should join this growing list. We can bring buses back into council control and end private companies running our buses for huge profit. We can introduce free public transport on the buses and subway.
It’s Glasgow’s Wealth
We can introduce measures which will keep wealth in the city instead of allowing billions to flow out to tycoons in tax havens. We can create a register of who own’s the city so the hedge funds can’t hide. Huge profits are made from public sector contracts. We will work to keep those contracts in the city, working with local businesses and helping to set up community co-operatives. We will work to extend community ownership of our public assets. We will campaign for the Scottish Government to pass a law allowing the council to take over derelict land. We support the replacement of the unfair council tax with a progressive tax based on ability to pay. We will fight for a fully funded new pay scheme for Glasgow’s council workers to end the decades of discrimination against low paid women workers.
Democracy in Our Communities – We Live Here!
When was the last time you felt that you were listened too or could affect a decision of the council either in the city centre or in your community? Decisions are just handed down to us. The city is being given over to planners, developers and companies whose only interest is in profiting from our city. Democracy starts in your community. We will ensure new forms of community democracy where local people get to participate in the decisions that affect them. We oppose all attempts to use discrimination and racism to divide working class communities.