Should your local councillor live in Glasgow?

Dear readers — Monday dawns! We’re about to enter what meteorologists are calling a ‘heatwave’, the bar for which in Glasgow is around 17C. So slap on your warpaint (suncream) and venture outside for some lunch. For Southsiders, Robbie recommends Short Long Black’s focaccia sandwiches and sitting on Hill 60 in Queen’s Park; for those in the east, we’ve got to signpost Outlier’s ciabatta takeaway specials and getting in your UV exposure at Glasgow Green. Central-wise, a dim sum platter from Oaka Supercity always hits the spot, and if you’re westward, why not a salad from Roots, Fruits and Flowers by the Kelvin, as recommended by our Perfect Day contributor this week?

Now, on with your Monday briefing. 

Catch up and coming up: 

• Last week Rory MacNeish was in Greenock, meeting with a complicated man who’s almost singlehandedly — and voluntarily — helped house hundreds of homeless veterans in Scotland from his living room. 
• City chronicler Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert told us which pictures he’d get in trouble for taking in Glasgow now vs 30 years ago. 
• Jamie Maxwell was feeling the shale hit his face in North Glasgow, penning a dispatch from the dirt tracks where riders race high-powered and brakeless bikes around in a sport at risk of disappearing altogether. 
• Calum is exploring a new fashion trend among Rangers fans — have you seen the ‘Make Rangers Great Again’ hats? Got thoughts or even bought one? Email calum@glasgowbell.co.uk. 
• We’re examining the future of Queen’s Park F.C after Lord Haughey confirmed he won’t be renewing his financial investment in the Spiders after June 2026. Have you got a hot take on the move? Connections or insight into what’s going on the board? Email archie.j.willis@gmail.com. 
• And we’re still looking for your questions about this city; what unsolved mysteries do you want answered? Drop them in the comments or email them to editor@glasgowbell.co.uk. 

Big story: Should your local councillor live in Glasgow? 

Topline: Former Glasgow council leader, Frank McAveety, has been charged with electoral fraud offences for allegedly giving a false address when he (successfully) re-ran for a council seat in 2022. 

Today we're asking: beyond potentially committing electoral fraud, does it matter where your local councillor lives? 

The rules: To stand as a councillor in Glasgow, you have to meet certain basic qualifications: you must have either been registered to vote in the local authority area for at least 12 months, or have lived and worked in the area for the same period. 

This means, like lots of Glasgow’s workers, some will inevitably be commuting into the city wards they’re elected to represent. 

Outside/in: It’s hard to pin down exactly how much of Glasgow’s working population are in-commuters — the council estimates that in 2020, 190,000 jobs were taken up by people from outside the city region’s borders. 

It should be noted that the number of jobs in Glasgow has increased far more over the past 15 years than in surrounding local authority areas, and most have gone to Glasgow residents. However, when it comes to the city’s 85 local councillors, the circumstances are obviously a bit different. 

Live and work? A councillor’s job is obviously to represent the interests of a local constituency, from complaints about bin collections to campaigning to get local pools re-opened. And there’s an argument that if the councillor doesn’t live in the ward — or even an adjoining one — they’re less able to effectively engage with the community or their concerns. There’s a potential for detachment and only a superficial understanding of how problems intersect — or how locally-tailored solutions might be found. Plus, by not having councillors embedded in the wards they are supposed to be representing, their organic interactions with local people are inevitably curtailed. 

A bird’s eye view: On the other hand, a more… removed perspective can be useful in assessing issues and joining up dots. First hand experience of how other wards, and even other local authorities, go about addressing problems can be a positive. Some might argue that this is what the council as a body is supposed to do anyway: develop a cohesive strategy that means development in areas like Pollokshields and Easterhouse feel part of the same city masterplan, even if policy is adapted depending on the needs of a specific ward. 

So, does it matter if a councillor lives in East Renfrewshire and commutes into the City Chambers, or their Southside surgery? Does it make a difference to their effectiveness as a local voice? 

And if so, with localism clearly on the increase as a political sticking point, will this become more of an issue at the ballot box? 

For what it’s worth… The Bell has met would-be councillors running for by-elections who tried their very best to claim kinship with a place they’ve clearly been parachuted into, using rationales as thin as ‘I drive through here all the time’.

On the flipside, we’ve also encountered local authority candidates who, despite living elsewhere in Glasgow, have an encyclopedic knowledge of the ward they’re bidding to represent. 

Bottom line: We want to know what you think about this one. Rest assured, we’ve been firing off FOIs left, right and centre, so this isn’t the last you’ll hear on this topic. But we’re interested in sounding out the feelings of readers. Do you care if your councillor isn’t local? Is it even a fair question? Let us know in the comments or via email. 

Stories you might have missed: 

📚A marathon route of Scotland’s top schools?
In The Times’ recently published rankings of Scotland’s top secondary schools, nine of the most successful are found on a 26.2 mile line stretching from Bishopbriggs Academy down to Mearns Castle High School in East Renfrewshire. The top eight in the list are: Jordanhill, Mearns Castle, Woodfarm High, St. Ninians High, Douglas Academy, Bearsden Academy, Boclair Academy, and Williamwood High. But the rankings expose an issue we’ve reported on at The Bell — that Glasgow’s immediate surrounding councils often benefit from the wealth generated by the city: all of those top eight, except for Jordanhill (which was deemed Scotland's best secondary for the ninth year running), lie just outside the city council area. Glasgow’s extreme inequality can be seen in the attainment gap between Drumchapel High, where just 14% of pupils gained five Highers or equivalent, and Bearsden Academy, only a few miles away, where the same metric was achieved by 78% of pupils. 

🎙Awaiting a second court date, podcaster James English is keeping himself busy in Dubai 
Since appearing in court last month on domestic abuse charges, including allegations that he attacked a woman while pregnant, Glaswegian James English has been doing anything but keeping a low profile. The news quickly gained the attention of Andrew Tate, a former guest on English’s podcast: “Bro. ANOTHER ONE,” wrote Tate to his 10.7m followers, reposting English on X. Since then, English has been busy, posting pictures with Tate’s brother Tristan on Instagram, and announcing him as an upcoming guest on his show, and posing with boxer Conor Benn on a private jet, destination unknown. The mystery was soon solved by a upload to the Instagram account of a Drumchapel gang — The Drum Boys — which has strong links to Dubai: a picture posted to their feed showed members (their faces covered by emojis) with English in the UAE.

Read/listen/watch: The story of the Sighthill Stone Circle 

🪨 How did the Sighthill Circle, airdropped onto contaminated land by helicopter in 1979, become a community landmark, revered as a sacred space of magic and myth as old as any megalithic ring? Episode two of a new BBC series on folk stories and song tries to answer that question, speaking to those who created Britain’s first stone circle in over 3,000 years. The Sighthill circle, presenter Meg Elliot concludes, meets a deep-seated human need for connection to physical places. Expect more on this yarn in Peter Ross’ upcoming book Upon a White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland.

We also rec: 

• Kirsty Wark on her ‘grand old city’
  “When I was a girl, Glasgow felt like a mystical and strange place, with impossibly tall buildings, shrouded in the soot of the great industrial city.” So starts Kirsty Wark’s guide to Glasgow in the Financial Times’ 'How To Spend It' over the weekend. Expect the usual suspects — Ga Ga got a notable mention. Coincidentally, GaGa owner, Julie Lin, was also in the Observer Food Monthly this weekend, talking about her upcoming debut cookbook and announcing she was stepping back from the restaurant.
• Share stories for a postwar housing project
  A callout if you've ever lived in the likes of the (now demolished) Wyndford Towers: Glasgow Story Collective is collating the memories of former and current residents of the city's postwar housing stock. Give them a buzz if you fit the bill.
• Paddy Higson obituary 
  A touching obit to Scotland’s pre-eminent fixer and facilitator, who worked with Bill Forsyth on the likes of 1981’s Gregory’s Girl, as well as films like The Magdalene Sisters and Restless Natives, the latter her largest budget at £1.25m. “The mother of the Scottish film industry,” David Hayman reflected. For more on her life, hear Clare Grogan share her memories of Higson on Radio 4’s 'Last Word'. 

Just a perfect day 

Every week, one Glasgow resident runs us through their ideal way to spend a day in the city.

Alice Mah, author of Red Pockets and Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Glasgow

DAWN: I love getting up really early to write. I’d wake up at 5.30am before my family does, make myself coffee and look out of our huge second-floor tenement window in Broomhill; the view is more sky than trees. I can see the University of Glasgow from my flat, cloudscapes and cherry blossom. I’d start with 500 good words, as the spark that carries me through the day; it could be anything from reflecting on the birds or research. But something to get the ideas flowing. 

Around 7.30am, I’d have breakfast with my son and partner. I don’t always eat breakfast itself but it’s about having that time together. Then I’d walk to a cafe to continue writing. I love walking in the city; I don’t drive and the subway and trains are often very crowded. But I feel inspired observing different parts of the city on a walk, like the beauty of the 300 million-year-old sandstone of the tenements, or the way the trees look at different times of the year. I’d end up at Alchemy Experiment on Byres Road, at 9am. It’s really warm and inclusive, a nurturing space for artists, poets and activists. I love that vibe. It feels like I should be writing with a pen and paper there so I do some analog writing, so that I’m more engaged with it.

MIDDAY: I’d get lunch at my favourite place: the salad bar at Roots, Fruits and Flowers on Great Western Road. I’d get a salad box and take it to a bench by the Kelvin, watch the birds. Then I’d walk through Kelvingrove to my next destination.

AFTERNOON: I’d make my way to the Mitchell Library, one of my favourite places in the city. They have these music practice rooms; I’m relearning piano as a way of bonding with my son. I’d book an hour in the practice rooms, which is a very non-elite space: you can hear a piper or jazz pianist next to you. I love the meshing of different levels of talent and generations. Then I’d go the reading rooms which is a very nice space to work in as a writer; it’s a studious environment but doesn’t have academic stuffiness. 

DUSK: My family and I are what you’d call introverts; we like restaurants but they’re often loud and we wear earplugs. So I’d prefer to eat at home; the perfect thing would be if my partner cooked something like a nut loaf that takes a bit of extra time that we don’t ordinarily have on a busy day. Then we’d go for an after dinner walk in Victoria Park or under the Clyde Tunnel, which is eerie and fun. 

When we get back, my son would practice his oboe and I’d play the piano with him. Then maybe a bit of reading before an early bedtime. 

AFTER HOURS: I’m in bed by 10pm maximum, asleep for my early wake up the next day.

Red Pockets: A Tale of Inheritance, Ghosts and the Future is out now, via Allen Lane/Penguin Press. 

Unconstructive critique: Sub Rosa Pizza, 147 Drakemire Dr. 

Since opening in an enterprise park (essentially a glorified carpark in an industrial estate) Sub Rosa has been lauded in the press for its “Berlin vibes”, “phenomenal food” and “perfect Detroit-style pizzas”. Much has also been made of its “unusual” and “unique” location, as well as its “dodgy exterior”. While we won’t dispute the latter, on the former points of praise we’re not so sure. Its round pies were decidedly average. The base lacked depth of flavour, as did the sauce. The rectangular baked pizza, cooked with sesame seeds, had more going for it, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that nothing I ate was worth the £20 taxi fare from the city centre (Admittedly, Castlemilk’s residents might find the location altogether more convenient but it’s woefully served by public transport). Sub Rosa is the latest venture from Dom Morton, who set up Canotto in Cathcart and latterly East Kilbride. He has plans for two more Sub Rosa locations, but his lips remain sealed on possible locations for now. Wherever they may be, I’m in no great rush, especially given the admirably high standard of pizza joints across the city. 

Glasgow calendar: Worldwide sounds of collective action 

Ten years old this year, this Saturday marks the first time Glasgow charity Refuweegee have run a clubnight. They’re teaming up with Radio Buena Vida for a night of non-electronic dance music from around the globe at Stereo, including Carmen Baia (femmedm), Hiba, Leahgte and Ktab. Tickets from £7.

Other dates for your diary:
Scents of the City: A Night Out On Sauchiehall Street
Thursday 1 May, 6—7.30pm