2 days ago
Johnny Carson: 'Glasgow wins when governments work together'
After lying semi-derelict for two years, the Barlia pitches and football facility was rescued by the Castlemilk Community Football Trust, led by dynamo charity manager John Harkins, with backing from Glasgow City Council and with support from both UK and Scottish Governments.
The Trust now hosts 24 clubs, has reopened state-of-the-art changing pavilions, and secured a 25-year lease.
Castlemilk's Barlia Football Centre is living proof that when the different layers of government pull in the same direction, by working with local communities, our city benefits.
At the most recent City Council meeting, councillors supported a motion which placed the Clyde at the heart of the city's identity and renewal.
There were many great ideas and contributions submitted to the debate, including establishing water bus services on the Clyde and exploring the potential for a revival of an operational tram on Clydeside.
The whole debate also reiterated a simple truth: that these great ideas require serious investment and cooperation from multiple partners.
That spirit of co-operation is needed if we wish Glasgow to truly flourish.
The recent UK Labour Government's Spending Review has delivered an extra £9.1 billion for Scottish public services, together with targeted funds for growth sectors and local projects.
£160 million has been ring-fenced for an Investment Zone spread across the Glasgow City Region; the zone is expected to unlock £300 million of private capital and support up to 10,000 new jobs over the next decade.
£250 million to kick off the multi-decade "Clyde 2070" modernisation of HM Naval Base Clyde, securing thousands of skilled jobs on both banks while reinforcing national security.
This is on top of the continuing Type-26 Frigate programme, which has delivered billions of pounds of investment and secured thousands of jobs for Glasgow.
Glasgow Labour MPs have been active in supporting calls for Glasgow yards to secure even more work by extending the Type-26 Frigate programme to Norwegian contracts.
However, where cooperation fails, the consequences are painfully visible.
News that bus-builder Alexander Dennis is intent on shifting production from Falkirk to Yorkshire is another blow for our country's industry.
But it has since emerged that the SNP Scottish Government ordered a mere 44 buses while Greater Manchester bought 160.
The spectre of 400 lost Scottish jobs now hangs over the firm.
Many people will be asking the same question: what chance have Scottish businesses got if they are not backed by the Scottish Government?
This pattern is sadly familiar.
The Islay-class ferry contracts – worth £91 million – went to the Cemre yard in Turkey, bypassing Scottish shipyards altogether.
Similar awards to Polish yards followed.
Procurement choices made unilaterally in Edinburgh exported hundreds of jobs that could have stayed on the Clyde or at Port Glasgow.
First Minister John Swinney recently kicked off an attempted revival following the SNP's defeat to Labour in the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election, by announcing that more focus would have to be put into the campaign for independence.
But ordinary Glaswegians aren't interested in continuing constitutional trench warfare.
They want working buses, good public services, decent jobs, and well-run local facilities after 18 years of SNP rule.
Labour's Spending Review and UK investments on the Clyde highlight the opportunities that exist when governments trust our city, businesses and workers.
Glasgow gains when all its governments pull together; it loses whenever they drift apart.
The real priorities should be obvious.
