Council leader Susan Aitken has said she is confident new First Minister Humza Yousaf will deliver a better deal for Glasgow.
Councillors welcomed Mr Yousaf’s election during a full council meeting, with Cllr Aitken saying it was a moment of “historic significance”.
She said the SNP’s new leader had committed to working on a new deal for councils, and she will be “on at him” weekly to make sure he follows up on his promise.
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Cllr Aitken was responding to a question from Labour group leader George Redmond, who said the previous First Minister Nicola Sturgeon had “presided over £400m of cuts to this city”.
He said Mr Yousaf’s election was a “landmark” moment for Scotland. “I do wish him, as we all do, all the best because if Humza Yousaf as the First Minister is successful then Glasgow should prosper.”
Cllr Redmond added: “Does the council leader have confidence that the new First Minister will give Glasgow a better deal?”
The council leader confirmed she was confident, adding: “The new First Minister explicitly said that he wants to work with councils on a new deal for local government. The commitment to reduce ring fencing that he’s also made will be an extremely important part of that new deal.
“I’m sure Cllr Redmond will recognise that the flexibility to plan our own budgets as much as we can is just as important as the overall resources available to councils, particularly at times such as now when Scottish public finances as a whole are being battered by factors, such as rampant inflation, that are largely beyond our control.”
She said the First Minister has been “very expansive in the commitments he has made to local government and the open invitation he has made to local government to work very closely with him and his new cabinet in order to reset that relationship”.
“I have absolute faith that he will see these commitments through, not least because I will be on at him on at least a weekly basis to make sure he does so.”
Cllr Aitken also said: “It is undoubtedly the case that the election of a second generation Scots Asian and a Muslim to this position is a moment of historic significance for diverse outward-looking Scotland.”
She added the council can be pleased another Glaswegian is First Minister and thanked Ms Sturgeon for her “extraordinary public service and tireless leadership during the most difficult times Scotland has faced in a generation”.
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