by G.A.Ponsonby
Glasgow Council SNP leader James Dornan has welcomed an announcement from the Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill that the SNP is committed to support for social enterprises.
Commenting on the news, Councillor James Dornan said: “This is great news from Kenny MacAskill and shows the deep commitment that the SNP has to Scotland’s social enterprise sector.
“The measures set out by Kenny will do a great deal to assist those enterprises and organisations working to make our communities better places for all. Unfortunately the same cannot, however, be said of Glasgow City Council, which is pressing ahead with a plan to remove concessionary rents from charitable and voluntary organisations in city properties.”
Councillor Dornan slammed the decision by the Labour-controlled local authority to remove the rent concession and claimed that voluntary organisations had been left in a state of alarm.
“Despite organisations voicing their fears on the impact this decision will have on their future and our calls for a rethink, the Labour administration have carried on regardless.”
He added: “A number of voluntary organisations have contacted us directly all greatly alarmed by this proposal.”
The SNP group voted against the proposal in December but it was pushed through with the support of the Lib Dems.
Mr Dornan said he has written to the Chief Executive calling for standing orders to be suspended to allow a rethink “but so far have had no luck.”
The SNP councillor said: “I hope that the Council has a change of heart and that the new legislation can be brought in by the SNP Government before too much damage is done to some of Glasgow’s great charitable organisations by Glasgow Labour.”
