The future of vital community venues will be among the issues to be considered by voters in the Linn ward ahead of next Thursday’s elections (May 5).
Currently represented by two SNP councillors, a Labour representative and a Conservative, the ward stretches from the village of Carmunnock to King’s Park, taking in Castlemilk, Croftfoot and Simshill as well as parts of Cathcart and Muirend.
Campaigners held weekly read-ins outside the Couper Institute library, in Cathcart, when the facility, forced to close by the covid pandemic, remained shut as other libraries began to reopen.
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Funding was eventually secured to reopen the library, but the rest of the Couper Institute remains closed to the public.
In Castlemilk, the Barlia Football Centre was closed when the pandemic hit and later used as a covid testing facility, denying entry to the community.
It is now reopened to the public but the management of community facilities, run by arms-length organisation Glasgow Life on behalf of the council, will be a key item on the council agenda following May’s vote.
Other issues in the ward include the development of a supermarket in Castlemilk, which locals have called for over a number of years. The campaign received a boost in February when the council agreed to give over £3 million from a Scottish Government fund to Scotsman Group, the owner of The Braes shopping centre, to support the project.
A “household name supermarket” is expected and council leader Susan Aitken said the scheme would make a “huge positive difference. ”Malcolm Cunning, a Labour candidate for Linn, has asked for more detail on the arrangement with Scotsman Group.
Residents, living in one of Scotland’s most deprived areas, have faced long journeys for their weekly shopping, often requiring public transport or taxis which means they have to spend more.
Public transport, waste management and the condition of roads and pavements will also be important local issues. Castlemilk Community Council will host a hustings, where candidates can be questioned, on Thursday, April 28 at 7pm in Castlemilk Community Centre.
Who won last time?
2017 results
At the 2017 election, Glenn Elder, then of the SNP, picked up the most first preference votes (18.70 per cent ) as the party returned two councillors in Linn on its way to taking control of the council from Labour. Margaret Morgan (11.72 per cent) was the other SNP representative elected.
Euan Blockley (15.85 per cent), for the Conservatives, and now Glasgow Labour leader Malcolm Cunning (15.32 per cent) were also chosen to represent Linn. There was a turnout of 40.6 per cent.
Who can I vote for this time?
2022 candidates
Blockley, Cunning and Morgan are standing again this year, but Elder, who left the SNP during the term, won’t be up for election. When he quit the party in 2019, Elder, who became part of the Independent Councillors’ Group, claimed the Glasgow SNP group had “lost focus” and promoted a “hostile” environment. An SNP spokesperson disagreed with his characterisation of the group.
The SNP has also put forward Paul McCabe while Labour is standing Cate Vallis. The Greens’ candidate is Keith Warwick, Joe McCauley is representing the Liberal Democrats and Angela Jones is seeking election for Alba. James Toner is an independent option, who opposes party politics.
