Why was this website was set up? 
Well, in January 2007, the leader of Glasgow City Council (and now board member of
Culture and Sport Glasgow) announced that the management Glasgow's Common Good assets, museums, libraries, social and community policy and much more, would be transferred en masse to a private company (with, for now at least, charitable status). The decision to transfer control of Glasgow's treasured heritage and future social policy was taken
without any consultation, discussion or debate involving or including the people of Glasgow; instead Purcell and a very small number of ill-advised, sycophantic colleagues, together with paid external consultants, worked for months putting a highly questionable business plan together, while the Glasgow people had no idea anything was being planned.
To compound matters, the intention to transfer control of Glasgow's assets to a private company was
never detailed as an election pledge in any manifesto by Purcell before, during or after the transfer. Indeed, such a transfer was - and is -
against formal Labour Party policy. Therefore, when the Glasgow people voted for Labour candidates in May 2007, they were voting for a policy to protect assets and respect the rights of council employees, at the very time when Purcell and his highly-paid business consultants were doing the opposite by transferring control of assets, as well as undermining the future of CLS staff working in the council.
That Purcell transferred control without any involvement or inclusion of the people of Glasgow is not a point of debate or contention: it is a fact that is wholly accepted by everyone involved.So here we get to the point of the matter: there is no doubt at all that in order for Glasgow to progress socially and economically in the 21st century, we have to
exploit our huge potential as a city; we have to stimulate economic regeneration through encouraging the business community to contribute in a mutually beneficial and rewarding process of investment; but ultimately, to have any chance of success, we have to
involve and include the people of Glasgow in this process. This last point – social inclusion and involvement - is where Purcell has failed completely, and in so doing, has not just let down the people of Glasgow, he has also put at risk the long-term security of investments made by the business community, because ultimately any investment which does not involve, motivate and reward the people of Glasgow is doomed to fail.
Still unconvinced? Well have a look at what the chairwoman of
Culture and Sport Glasgow, Liz Cameron - who shall have the last word on gLNews - had to say on August 13th 2003:
"...the balance is very fine but, to put it in a nutshell,
you will not economically enrich this city if you don't have the people socially involved and included. And, on the other hand, we won't be able to regenerate properly, socially, unless you've got some measure of economic regeneration."
Goodbye and good luck!
gL.
