Susan Aitken has said that Glasgow is a “safe city” and is in a better place than it was before she became leader.
The 54-year-old led the SNP to victory in Glasgow in the 2017 local elections, bringing an end to decades of Labour domination in the city.
Nine years on, she is preparing to step down as council leader.
She says the city is in a better state than it was before she took over, and has been cleaned up in the past five years.
“I am, yes, absolutely”, she said, when asked if she was proud of her record. “There are always frustrations and regrets, things that you wish you might have been able to deal with differently at the time.
“I’m confident the city is in a better place than it was when I became leader in 2017. But I think I’m also confident that it’s in a better place than it would have been, were I not here, because all of these things would have happened anyway, Brexit, COVID, cost of living crisis and international conflict.
“I think that we, as a city, have responded as effectively as we can to a lot of those challenges.”
STV NewsA motion is being presented to the Glasgow Council this Thursday by Councillor Lana Reid-McConnell, which highlights the “shocking increase” in reported rapes and sexual crimes in Glasgow over the last five years.
Aitkin believes this rise is down to the legal and social rights of women and girls being reversed, insisting Glasgow itself is a safe city.
“I do believe Glasgow is a safe city, but I believe that Glasgow is a city like all other cities, which are also experiencing and seeing these similar types of increases”, she said.
“We are seeing the legal and social rights of women and girls, and not just women and girls, LGBTQ+ people and people of colour as well, people of ethnic minorities, being reversed, and that is, I believe, the real issue that is causing an increase in crimes of sexual violence against women and girls.
“I have walked through the city centre regularly.
“I did so last Saturday, in fact, I came to the phased reopening of George Square, it was brilliant. Then I spent some time with friends and walked through merchant city.
“I’m not saying it isn’t an issue.
“We know there are some hotspots in the city centre right now, where there is visible anti-social behaviour and visible criminality.
“We’re working with our colleagues with Police Scotland, clearly they take the lead on that.”
Aitken has previously faced criticism over the condition of the city centre, and previously said it needed “spruced up”.
She said it has “constantly” been getting this and the city is in a better place than it was five years ago.
“Five years ago, we were just coming out of COVID”, she added. “There was undoubtedly an issue then”.
Susan Aitken will remain a councillor until the local elections next May.
Her successor as leader will be decided tomorrow.
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