GLASGOW councillors have said spending public money on any platinum jubilee celebrations in the city would be “sickeningly offensive” and “crass.”
It comes as Glasgow City Council has faced criticism from some quarters over a lack of major events planned to mark the Queen’s 70 years on the throne at the weekend.
Edinburgh is to see large screens broadcasting the Jubilee celebrations, placed in Princes Street Gardens, as well as street parties, while other towns across Scotland are hosting parades, gala days and community events to mark the long reign of the monarch.
In Glasgow, however, the main official tribute to the Queen will see schools having a Jubilee-themed menu and the council and Glasgow Cathedral hosting a service of worship on Sunday, June 5.
Defending Glasgow’s absence of events online, Green councillor Leodhas Massie said: “To set aside even a penny of Glasgow City Council’s budget for this during a chronic cost of living crisis would be sickeningly offensive.
"You are free to celebrate this ‘tradition’ at your own expense if you feel like you want to.”
SNP council deputy leader and city treasurer Ricky Bell, said: “In the current financial restraints that Glasgow City faces, spending money on a jubilee celebration would in my opinion be crass, I want to direct every penny we can to helping with the cost of living crisis.”
Green councillor Anthony Carrolll said he would like to see Glasgow’s communities and their history celebrated more instead – pointing to the Kenmure Street Festival of Resistance and the Govanhill International Festival.
He said: “We should be celebrating Glaswegians and our history. As a city, we have proud moments. There is a lot we should promote more.”
But expressing his disapproval at the city’s lack of plans for the jubilee, Conservative councillor Thomas Kerr said: “I am deeply disappointed that the SNP/Green Coalition in Glasgow have decided to snub Her Majesty.
“The Platinum Jubilee is a perfect occasion to celebrate our Majesty’s tireless dedication to our country and I will be proud to celebrate The Queen.
“Other Scottish towns and cities are rightly marking the jubilee but it seems the nationalists running Glasgow City Chambers have shown themselves up to be petty and mean-spirited.
“However, their refusal to mark the celebrations won’t stop Glaswegians from joining together to wish Her Majesty a fantastic historic Platinum Jubilee and celebrate her decades of dutiful public service to our country.”
