Glasgow City Council Elections: We interview Alex Salmond, Ed Miliband & all the national leaders

May 2 2012 By Joe McGuire

Scottish Conservative Leader Ruth Davidson

THE Tories currently only have one
councillor in the city chambers – but
 Scottish party leader Ruth Davidson has bold plans.

She told The Glaswegian the Tories favoured a smaller, more transparent council focused on “bread and butter” issues
– and that
 reducing council tax was one of their aims.

Davidson, left, said: “As Conservatives, we believe in localism.
 For Glasgow, we’ve put together a really comprehensive manifesto.

“We want more openness and
transparency – we want to broadcast council meetings on radio and TV.

“The publication of spending above £500 so people can see where their money is going would make things more accountable and also reduce spending.

“I think anyone who is a driver or bus user in Glasgow would agree our roads need extra work. The potholes haven’t been sorted out properly – that will be a priority.”

She also said the enforcement of dog fouling legislation and the return of weekly green bin collections for single properties were priorities.

Money to fund their plans would
 come from a one per cent increase in tax collection rates and a “streamlining” of departments.

Davidson wouldn’t say how many council seats the Tories were targetting but said they faced “a long road back”.