What Glasgow leader Susan Aitken plans to ask new First Minister John Swinney

Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken has outlined four issues she needs to discuss with Scotland's new First Minister John Swinney.

Councillor Aitken wants the city to be a priority for climate emergency funding as it could be "part of the solution" to avoid missing targets.

The SNP politician also intends to discuss Glasgow getting more funding considering the huge costs involved in serving a large population. The city having a choice on how to invest resources will also be on the agenda.

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Speaking at today's full council meeting the Langside councillor would also talk to Mr Swinney about making sure the city's efforts to tackle poverty receive enough investment.

The leader was responding to a question from Scottish Greens councillor Marthat Wardrop asking about what matters would be raised with Mr Swinney.

Explaining about Glasgow's potential role in tackling the climate emergency, Councillor Aitken said: " I want to make the offer to the First Minister that Glasgow is part of the solution to the challenges that are impeding delivery of national targets"

She said she would make "the case for a more targeted approach to frontloading national funding for climate interventions towards areas like Glasgow who will not only deliver the biggest bang for our buck when it comes to emissions reductions but also have the ability to multiply that public sector contribution potentially many times over by leveraging institutional and private sector investment that we need to deliver climate action at the necessary pace and scale."

Commenting on work to reduce poverty, she said potential discussions would involve seeking to "expand on game changing national policies like the Scottish Child Payment by ensuring that the equally transformational work that we do here in Glasgow is funded and supported."

Councillor Aitken said: "I want to talk about local government funding both in general and also specifically for Glasgow and our role as the city at the heart of Scotland's metro region. "I have argued many times that the particular challenges and additional costs of serving a dense urban and metropolitaton population whether it is on housing, or culture or roads maintenance or any other area you care to name need to be acknowledged and compensated in the same way that remote and rural areas have long been when it comes to funding allocations.

"I also want to emphasise the need for local authorties to be able to invest resources in the ways that we determine best suit our local circumstances."

She told councillors she is "very keen" to meet with Mr Swinney in a "formal capacity as soon as possible."

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