JODY Harrison's Unspun piece ("Glasgow far from flourishing as it marks 850th year", The Herald, July 5) paints an all too true picture of Glasgow in despair, citing a pub and bar sector which has contracted by 20.5%, a music scene down by 21% and a retail sector feeling the effects of a drop of nearly half a million visitors to the city centre.
Glasgow is in dire need of a new vision and leadership to help revive this once-thriving and bustling city centre; however, to address a problem you must first admit there is a problem, something which the leader of Glasgow City Council seems unable to do. Glasgow needs to listen to people who understand what makes a city centre work, but sadly the "ideological chasm between business owners and the powers that be" referred to by Donald MacLeod (a man who knows a thing or two about how the city centre works) means that the voice of business is not heard or heeded in the City Chambers.
Marissa MacWhirter ("No quick fix for transport shambles", The Herald, July 5) lays out in forensic detail just how poor, expensive, unreliable and difficult to use public transport is in the Greater Glasgow area is, which means that as Glasgow does not welcome motorists, a trip to the city centre without being sure of getting home safely is a risk that fewer and fewer people are prepared to take. No doubt we will be told by the council that "the Clyde Metro will be here in 10/20 years". Glasgow cannot wait, the city is in near-terminal decline, a sad and grubby landscape of boarded-up shops and endlessly dug-up pavements with no clear strategy to save the city centre.
How much does Glasgow need someone like Andy Burnham to stand up for our once-proud city?
Billy Gold, Glasgow.
Case for city mayors is flawed
STUART McIntyre ("Is it now time for Scotland to embrace local devolution?", Herald Business, July 8) asks if it’s time we embraced local devolution. He calls in aide what he calls the “successful” mayoralties of Manchester and East Midlands. He leaves out the allegations that currently exist about the financial affairs surrounding the freeport development being led by the Tees Valley mayor. Nor does he mention the former Liverpool mayor who was arrested in 2022 in part of an anti-corruption investigation. The United States has a long history of mayors who use their great powers to feather their own nests and those of allies, friends and families. The considerable powers given to mayors in America and the UK have witnessed frequent misuse.
Professor McIntyre discusses the urgent need for Glasgow to find answers to the problems that particularly affect its city centre. In the 1980s, when Glasgow’s economic condition was far worse than today it was the democratically elected city council that led the charge to revitalise the city. The late Lord Provost Michael Kelly was the public face of the rebirth of Glasgow. He had vision, the council had the machine, and the people had the comfort of a local government system far better equipped to hold leaders to account than that of directly elected mayors.
The real worry about regional mayoralties in Scotland is that they would, by their very size, be in competition with Holyrood. Indeed, such an outcome may be one of the motives of the proponents of regional mayors. Nor may the voters of the districts surrounding Glasgow be attracted to the idea of losing local powers to a Greater Glasgow authority, or their taxpayer funds being diverted to support the pet schemes of a regional mayor whose political base is Glasgow.
Martin Roche, Glasgow.
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We can't afford to take in migrants
IAIN McIntyre (Letters, July 8) chastises Dr Gerald Edwards (Letters, July 4) for daring to challenge the views of the Climate Apostles. He calls out Dr Edwards because he doesn't want climate refugees in the UK and hopes Dr Edwards "is willing to open his doors to displaced climate migrants who no longer have a country in which they are able to live". This is yet more OTT climate scaremongering.
The UK cannot take in the world's waifs and strays whether they are climate refugees, economic migrants or Channel Chancers. Why should UK taxpayers house, feed and fund these people and allow them to use our NHS, schools and other facilities?
Clark Cross, Linlithgow.
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The Raducanu/Murray match-up
I CAN’T decide if I agree that Emma Raducanu made the right decision to withdraw from her mixed doubles match partnering Sir Andy Murray ("Raducanu exits with no regrets as Sun shines", Herald Sport, July 5).
On the one hand elite sport at their level requires almost physical perfection so she was perhaps right to give herself the best possible chance of winning her next singles match.
On the other hand, however, there stands Sir Andy, ready to do battle for one last time,channelling his inner Terminator (the good one!) with metal hip, effects of recent spinal surgery and damaged ankle ligaments. Emma’s stiff wrist seems a bit minor in comparison.
Whilst tennis is a physically demanding sport it also requires a high degree of resilience, both physical and mental, which Raducanu seems to lack at this early stage in her career.
Who is the better role model for any youngsters just taking up the game?
Keith Swinley, Ayr.
A brighter picture
IN these difficult times, I draw strength from observing the wildlife on my daily walks with my collie, Ben, but no-one captures nature's restorative benefits more than the genius that is your regular contributor, Jacki Gordon. Her beautiful study of a red fox at Linn Park (Picture of the Day, The Herald, July 8) set me up to handle whatever might come my way in the rest of the day.
Many thanks, Jacki.
Gordon Evans, Glasgow.
Embracing the future
TODAY'S interview with Colin Lamb ("Scottish entrepreneur on road towards £5 million", Herald Business, July 8) led to research about a business messaging app named Slack (Searchable Log of All Communication and Knowledge).
Further inquiry suggests that the app is partly about "embracing feelings".
Do companies really want employees to embrace their feelings for each other?
Exciting times at the office.
David Miller, Milngavie.
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