I belong to Glasgow. But do I really? My piece for @glasgowbell.bsky.social about the guilt of living just over the East Renfrewshire boundary, and paying nothing towards the city's upkeep, something I've been musing on for a long time. www.glasgowbell.co.uk/should-glasg... - ThreadSky

danigaravelli.bsky.social • 86 days ago

I belong to Glasgow. But do I really? My piece for @glasgowbell.bsky.social about the guilt of living just over the East Renfrewshire boundary, and paying nothing towards the city's upkeep, something I've been musing on for a long time. https://www.glasgowbell.co.uk/should-glasgow-suburbs-pay-tax/

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stteneu.bsky.social•85 days ago

the big issue is the way in which Greater Glasgow HSCP rightly funds access to healthcare across borders for multiple councils, but those same council's IJB reps repeatedly vote to take £ from Glasgow's Social Care budgets to fund Hospitals, whilst protecting their own Care budgets.

stteneu.bsky.social•85 days ago

so now a person in E. Dunbartonshire will have full SDS funding but folk in Drumchapel with the same needs could have no services. & a Nth Lanarkshire councillor created the Verity House agreement so raiding Glasgow's Social Care budgets to pay for Health Services is now legal.

neilbeakerq.bsky.social•86 days ago

Same with Dundee and surrounding areas like Monifeith, Carnoustie, Invergowrie, Tayport, etc. Really needs addressed.

boagorbust.bsky.social•85 days ago

Aye, I feel this quite strongly having grown up in Newport-on-Tay where there should be a formalisation of services you can and can’t use, especially because the specific issue on the other side of the Tay is that equivalent services in Fife are usually inaccessible for the Far North of the Kingdom

boagorbust.bsky.social•85 days ago

Like as an example, our nearest recycling centre that’s actually in Fife with regular opening hours is in Ladybank (which is approx 15 miles away compared to Riverside in Dundee being 5), so naturally you end up surreptitiously using the DCC one even through you’re not supposed to

andym82.bsky.social•74 days ago

Well if I see you at Riverside… I’ll say nothing cos I live 2 miles from it but I’m in Perth and Kinross.

sean-mcp.bsky.social•85 days ago

With family in Clarkston, I recognise these points. EU average council constituency is 10K, in Scotland it's 175K. When voters feel remote from
legislators, politics breaks - at local or national level. Review of local gov is urgent

danigaravelli.bsky.social•85 days ago

Seems to be an acceptance that some things ought to be devolved further to communities, while, at the same time, cities need a form of metropolitan powers.

nomadicbry.bsky.social•86 days ago

It’s like the elephant in the room. Glasgow needs support from the surrounding areas and the Scot govt. Glasgow has been neutered by every colour of govt and each seems unwilling to help the city. Shortsightedness, fear of Glasgow, indifference? I honestly can’t understand the city’s treatment

danigaravelli.bsky.social•85 days ago

No, me neither

harrycovert.bsky.social•86 days ago

Never thought it made much sense that Bearsden and Milngavie aren’t considered part of Glasgow and Drumchapel is.

economyofhope.bsky.social•86 days ago

Shouldn't be either/or.
In most parts of Europe, there are several tiers of local authorities, and there would probably be a regional 'Greater Glasgow' - but the structure would allow for more shared services.

danigaravelli.bsky.social•86 days ago

Yes, that's what the piece is about

economyofhope.bsky.social•86 days ago

Indeed - I have often talked to my students about how life expectancy increases moving along Maryhill Road into Killermont (and East Dunbartonshire).
Not quite as colourfully as @iaindocherty.bsky.social

instography.bsky.social•86 days ago

I'm old enough to remember the 1994 review and the obvious gerrymandering of city boundaries. One of the great failures of devolution is that no administration in the Scottish Government has instructed Boundaries Scotland to conduct a review of council areas and fix it.

keithjfuller.bsky.social•85 days ago

Wait, is this article saying that the suburbs pay for the city? If so - lol.

timmoss.bsky.social•86 days ago

It’s a massive challenge, I wonder why the SNP hadn’t tried something like this given it would be politically helpful for them (surely?) to mix inner and outer cities.

aldoboot.bsky.social•86 days ago

Good piece, Dani.
I propose tolls outside Linn Park and at the Giffnock shops!!
A shout out for the big, diverse Secondary in Crosshill. Producing great outcomes for loads of kids, on a par with their esteemed East Ren counterparts.

steppish.bsky.social•86 days ago

It was a really good article. Though, and i know you didn't write it, i wish they hadn't gone with "subsidise" in the headline.

And here's a link to the SIMD map for any that want to look for themselves and see how carefully some of the boundaries were drawn - https://simd.scot/#/simd2020/BTTTFTT/12.263688224251613/-4.2770/55.8419/

danigaravelli.bsky.social•86 days ago

Yes, I understand. I didn't use that word in the piece.

stephenjfyfe.bsky.social•86 days ago

The SIMD map also shows there are neighbouring areas outside Glasgow such as Thornliebank, Rutherglen, Fernhill, Farmecross, Clydebank, Renfrew, Barrhead that are in the lower decides. Any local government reform needs to ensure that these areas can also thrive.

stephenjfyfe.bsky.social•85 days ago

Decides = deciles ~discuss.

mikebolland.bsky.social•84 days ago

I’m back in Glasgow (back 28 years ago) When I was in London it seemed perfectly clear that Thatcher was punishing’socialist’ Glasgow by demolishing Strathclyde. The people in the affluent suburbs contribute nothing to the city’s economy but benefit from the wealth created

rickybell99.bsky.social•85 days ago

Great piece by @danigaravelli.bsky.social on the funding challenges Glasgow faces.

danigaravelli.bsky.social•85 days ago

Thanks, Ricky

bennyrunner.bsky.social•85 days ago

I was closely involved in the reorganisation following the 1994 act and it was clear political gerrymandering. We also said that eventually this would lead to this financial challenge but it fell on deaf ears.

sheenamacdonald.bsky.social•86 days ago

Brilliant piece Dani. It’s a political problem, I agree, and to the shame of politicians off all shade that the City of Glasgow and her population is in the state we find ourselves. But it’s also personal, we had friends take flight to East Renfrewshire for “good” schools, we love Glasgow so 1/x

sheenamacdonald.bsky.social•86 days ago

stayed and got stuck into supporting our kids schools and making them better for all. It still rankles that swimming lessons and other sports clubs got booked up fast by the sharp-elbowed parents of the suburbs, denying local kids whose parents didn’t have cars to ferry them about and needed 2/x

sheenamacdonald.bsky.social•86 days ago

clubs close to home. I don’t want to see charges for museums and galleries, for using the Clyde Tunnel, I want our theatres to thrive, but the people of Glasgow can’t bear the burden of their cost alone. The residents of the leafy suburbs will find that their Glasgow fun will be much curtailed 3/x

danigaravelli.bsky.social•85 days ago

Yes I agree with all of this. Bring back some kind of two tier system but smaller than Strathclyde?

sheenamacdonald.bsky.social•85 days ago

I’m not sure. I think having a Scottish Government makes the landscape quite different to the days of the Regions. But, it’s a very good question and perhaps the model in Greater Manchester where Councils work together but without a Mayor is worth looking at.

danigaravelli.bsky.social•85 days ago

Yes well the piece sort of suggests we are moving towards that but even a collaborative body would need resources and powers

sheenamacdonald.bsky.social•86 days ago

if we do. And you’re so right the play-parks of Glasgow just don’t compare with those in the leafy suburbs but I still take Bellahouston Park and a bog-standard Glasgow Secondary school with socio-economic and cultural diversity than Rouken Glen Park and a “top” school every day of the week! 4/4

drewtoo.bsky.social•86 days ago

Yes, and East Dunbartonshire. I find it somewhat infuriating this is not a bigger political issue

danigaravelli.bsky.social•86 days ago

Yes, equally true of East Dunbartonshire (and the piece does mention it too).

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