Ricky Bell: 'Labour just can't be bothered turning up'

Glasgow Times

23-04-2025

The minute they were in the Downing Street door, out went the election pledges of fairness, investment and prosperity, and instead they doled out a fresh round of Tory austerity.
Absolutely no one who gave their vote to Labour last July did so to usher in the scrapping of fuel support to pensioners, sanctions against the disabled or policies which make the poor poorer.
Nor did they vote for a Government which instantly found itself up to its collective neck in gifts and freebies scandals, or for MPs who refuse to stand up for their constituents for fear of rocking Sir Keir Starmer's boat.
Labour's polling in recent months shows the scale of the regret and sense of betrayal amongst voters.
Here in Glasgow, the ongoing chaos within the council's Labour group is an ugly reminder of their antics during their decades of misrule in the city.
For legal reasons, there are things we can't publicly talk about regarding Glasgow Labour right now.
But there's plenty about their descent into turmoil that we can.
Take, for example, the recent announcement by Labour group leader George Redmond that, after less than three years in the post, he's jacking it in.
He's standing aside to give someone else a go, he's said.
It wasn't so long ago that, backed by branch office boss Anas Sarwar and other Labour powerbrokers, Mr Redmond launched his bid to become group – and indeed council – leader.
That he did so from a Spanish airport on his way home from a football match should've told his party just how committed to the job he'd be.
But so bitterly divided have they been at the manner of that takeover that effectively two separate Labour groups have been operating on the council, with Mr Redmond having to see off at least one leadership challenge during that time.
Given the strife and seemingly sudden change of heart, Glaswegian voters deserve to know from the outgoing Labour group leader and his backers exactly what's been going on.
One thing we can be sure of is that Labour will continue to put party and personalities before the city and its people.
The powerbrokers are again out to appoint their new flavour of the month, while other disgruntled councillors are jockeying for power and position.
With their AGM just a few weeks away, things are getting increasingly tense.
And why is this important?
Because this isn't an election to the committee of the local bowling club.
This is about the party of the UK Government picking the people it wants to run this city, when all the evidence is that they couldn't run a menodge.
Nor does it seem that they're particularly interested.
Labour's attendance at recent full councils has been pitiful.
This is a meeting which takes place every six weeks and where important decisions about this city are taken.
Yet, in increasing numbers, Labour just can't be bothered turning up.
I get that some of them are scunnered at the antics of their bosses, at both Westminster and Holyrood.
But they were elected to do a job and too many aren't even up for doing the bare minimum.
It's been almost eight years since Glasgow voted Labour out of power at the City Chambers.
In that time, they've continued to be engulfed in scandal and infighting.
And they've saddled this city with hundreds of millions of pounds in debt, the legacy of their refusal to properly pay women workers.
But as sure as Glaswegians are that the Labour leopards really don't change their spots, they can be equally sure that the SNP is getting on with the day job of delivering for Glasgow and its people.