22
www.glasgowchamberofcommerce.com Interview with Councillor David McDonald, Depute Leader, Glasgow City Council G
lasgow will benefit from a more proactive level of collaboration between the public and private, academic and not-for-profit sectors, says Glasgow City Council’s Depute Leader.
Speaking exclusively to Glasgow Business, Councillor
David McDonald, the SNP representative for Greater Pollok, said Glasgow Chamber of Commerce members can play a significant role in improving the life and economy of the city by increasing their civic engagement. “We’ve made it very clear as a council that partnership is
the new normal for Glasgow City Council. We can’t deliver on our priorities in isolation. So it’s really important for us that we have the opportunity to work together and hear directly, and through the Chamber, from businesses of all sizes and scales.” Glasgow’s elected leadership wants to work together for the mutual benefit of the city, especially those making goods and delivering services. “The new Made in Glasgow campaign is very exciting for the city. This is about promoting everything that is made here. Unfortunately, we seem to have a reputation where the days of Glasgow making things was in the past. I’m keen on saying: ‘We still make lots of things in the city. We still make things of incredible importance and exquisite beauty’. There is also incredible technology in the city, so let’s find a way of working together to promote the makers and the crafts in a new way.” This is about showing Glasgow’s vibrancy
and invention as a major international city, benchmarking itself against Berlin, New York and Barcelona, and that it is open for business. “We are now a world leader in space technology. Outside of America, the largest number of space satellites are built in Glasgow. Most people don’t know we have moved on and are a high technology city.” He also said the Council could work more closely with the city’s traditional brands, such as Tennent’s breweries, which is on one of
the oldest established industrial sites in the East End, while spin-outs in the West of Scotland Science Park at Maryhill are working on cutting- edge technology. The Council has set up three hubs: on investment, inclusive growth, and a skills hub, to tackle fundamental issues of skills and training, and to bring those outside the workforce into productive employment. Professor Sir Jim McDonald has been leading the Glasgow
Economic Leadership (GEL) Group for a number of years, and the Council has established alongside this the Glasgow Partnership Economic Growth (GPEG). “This is not to replace the work Prof McDonald is doing. It is adding more external industry expertise to the group, with more of a partnership approach,” said Mr McDonald. He said Glasgow City Council was keen to have a more proactive partnership approach, bringing on board key levels of expertise from the private, public, academic and social enterprise sector. “We’re keen to bring as many voices and as much
experience as possible together through strategic leadership for economic growth. We need to be able to respond more effectively to the new opportunities and challenges.” He said Glasgow must be better at responding to change with obvious bumps in the road ahead. “We’ve got a year to go to Brexit and this is going to be a particular challenge. I sense there is a lot of goodwill and a common goal for Glasgow to succeed. The fact that the City is all pulling in the same direction is a very positive thing.” He cites the backing by the City to move Channel 4’s headquarters to Glasgow. “We’ve been able to move quickly to make sure we are able to put in a bid for that, with a potential for 300 jobs.” He encourages Chamber members to engage with the Council via the Chamber and said they were open to any suggestions that could make the City a strong and more successful place.
Councillor David McDonald, Depute Leader, Glasgow City Council
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48
