ALBA Glasgow - Activity Update
People's Vote success; Council and Wheatley in retreat
In October of last year, our party leader premiered an episode of Scotland Speaks with Alex Salmond in the threatened Maryhill Hub on the community's battle to save social housing and the community centre from destruction in a madcap regeneration scheme that would see 600 social homes flattened for expensive private tenancies and the community centre demolished with the land sold off to private developers.
Alex's second feature episode on the story ended with the clarion suggestion that the Wyndford community host a referendum to show whether the people backed these plans, as Glasgow City Council and Wheatley claimed. Following a three-month campaign this year, supported by members of the Glasgow LACU, the results are in: the people of the Wyndford decisively reject the demolition and a thunderous 75% of the 450 or so people whose households cast a ballot have demanded refurbishment.
A day before this supermajority was announced Wheatley and the Council publicly stated that the sell-off of land to private developers has been shelved and a new full commitment to the retention of every facility in the Hub has been made, with an increased offer of more social housing in any redevelopment. There is more on this story to run, but with ALBA the people have found their voice and the landlord and Council are in full retreat.
Nick Durie
Political Organiser Glasgow LACU
Pollock Public Meeting
It was an amazing step making the presence of the ALBA Party seen in action on our first Glasgow South West Public meeting on Sunday the 24th of March 2024 at Leithland Neighbourhood Centre. It was such a direct way of engaging with the local community and involving the public in discussions about the local issues of their particular concern.
We are very proud to say that the event was a more interactive and participative meeting than we even hoped would be possible. After the initial thanks and welcome by our Glasgow Chairperson, Catherine McKernan, and speeches from our Speakers, Tony Osy, Our Alba Party Chairperson Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh, Nick Durie Glasgow Campaign Organiser; Mrs Veronica Bonard Local Community Activist; Bill Craig Alba Activist and Ms Olivia Ndoti of Glasgow Women's Integration Network gave incredibly inspirational and relevant talks. We noticed that the subjects of the speeches and the fact that the speakers were so well known in the local community, really seemed to encourage very active participation, encouraging those who had something to say and who are not normally confident speaking in public, to still get involved.
Our LACU were also involved in our leaflet design with Marie Claire McGuiness organising and helping in preparation.
It really was a good public meeting event which enabled all participants to also touch on the failure of SNP Government to deliver on their promises without feeling intimidated or inhibited. It also helped people to see with their own eyes and hear with their own ears, how honestly committed we are to rebuilding people`s trust, especially reassuring the public that independence for the prosperity of our communities is a reality that must be achieved. We needed to facilitate people's voices being heard from the audience and as well as gathering the feedback and opinion of the people and the public. It was clear they needed to know that the people’s questions would be addressed by our party.
People want to know what differences we can make, especially the majority of the ALBA members who originally came from the SNP and what promises are they ready to support with their vote. These are just some of the questions I think we can address to get people on our side. But overall, we have genuinely demonstrated that ALBA is a party that can really listen to the people and hear what they are saying to us.
We were warmly welcomed by the local community who also put on delicious food and we thank them very much for their lovely hospitality towards us all.
Tony Osy
Organiser Glasgow LACU