Susan Aitken

Susan Aitken (born November 1971) is a Scottish politician who has served as Leader of Glasgow City Council since 2017. A member of the Scottish National Party, she has been the leader of the SNP group on the council since 2014 and a councillor for the Langside ward since 2012.

Councillor
Susan Aitken
Official portrait, 2017
Leader of Glasgow City Council
Assumed office
18 May 2017
Preceded byFrank McAveety
Leader of the Scottish National Party Group on Glasgow City Council
Assumed office
March 2014
Preceded byGraeme Hendry
Glasgow City Councillor
for Langside (Ward 7)
Assumed office
3 May 2012
Personal details
BornNovember 1971 (age 51)
Biggar, Scotland
Political partyScottish National Party
Alma materUniversity of Glasgow, Strathclyde University

Early life

Aitken was born in Biggar, Lanarkshire in November 1971 to Glaswegian parents. After attending Biggar High School, she studied English Literature at the University of Glasgow before completing a Masters Degree at the neighbouring University of Strathclyde.[1]

Originally a member of Scottish Labour, she joined the SNP in 2000, while working as a researcher in the field of health and social policy.[1]

Political career

Election to city council

Aitken was elected to represent the ward of Langside in the 2012 Glasgow City Council election.[2] In March 2014, she was made leader of the SNP Group at Glasgow City Council following the resignation of Graeme Hendry.[3]

She was re-elected as a councillor at the 2017 Glasgow City Council election where the SNP became the largest party: breaking 36 years of uninterrupted Labour Party control of Scotland's largest city. Cllr Aitken became Leader of the Council, at the head of a minority SNP administration.[4]

City council leader, 2017―present

Aitken took office as leader of the SNP-led administration on 9 May 2017, formally appointed as such on 18 May 2017,[5] and immediately wrote to COSLA on behalf of Glasgow City Council, seeking to rejoin.[6]

On 19 January 2019, Councillor Aitken’s administration announced that it would meet equal pay settlements after Court of Session ruled against Glasgow City Council in a long-running legal dispute which had begun under the previous administration, and which had been a central part of the SNP's 2017 manifesto. Workers later took part in industrial action with support of the GMB and Unison unions over delays to agree compensation payments and a new pay and benefits scheme.[7][8]

Controversies

In October 2021, when questioned by the Scottish Affairs Select Committee about council workers who had been attacked by vermin whilst collecting waste, Aitken replied: "All cities have rats."[9] She also suggested that Glasgow's waste problems were the fault of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.[10]

Proposed closure of libraries

During the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries across Glasgow closed along with other businesses. During this time, Glasgow City Council had proposed a number of closures across the city's libraries, leading to backlash from the public, campaigners and other politicians. Aitken had earlier issued assurances that no libraries across the city would close.[11]

Personal life

In 2020, Aitken was referred to the Standards Commissioner by her predecessor Frank McAveety over allegations she should have declared an interest over a £1 a year rent given to a Community interest company her husband was involved in. Aitken was later found to have broken no conflict of interest rules, having had no locus in the matter, and the Standards Commissioner cleared Aitken of any wrongdoing.[12]

References
  1. "Susan Aitken: "I am Glasgow city leader but I never fancied politics"". The Herald. 10 July 2017.
  2. Paterson, Stewart (16 May 2012). "Recount upholds election outcome". Evening Times. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. "Susan Aitken to lead Glasgow SNP group". BBC News. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  4. "Glasgow City Council's new SNP leader Susan Aitken 'open to coalition deal'". The Herald. 6 May 2017. Retrieved 7 May 2017.
  5. @GlasgowCC (18 May 2017). "Cllr Susan Aitken is formally appointed Council Leader #GCC" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 May 2017 – via Twitter.
  6. Braiden, Gerry (9 May 2017). "Glasgow rejoining local government fold as new SNP leadership makes break with past". The Herald. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  7. Brooks, Libby (17 January 2019). "Women win 12-year equal pay battle with Glasgow city council". The Guardian.
  8. "Glasgow City Council sends women equal pay settlement offers". BBC News. 22 May 2019.
  9. McCall, Chris (25 October 2021). "Glasgow council leader insists 'all cities have rats' in COP26 cleansing row". Daily Record.
  10. Sanderson, Daniel (25 October 2021). "Cop26: 'Delusional' SNP council leader blames Margaret Thatcher for Glasgow's rats and bins crisis". The Telegraph.
  11. Aitken, Susan (28 April 2021). "Susan Aitken promises Glasgow libraries are safe from closure". Glasgow Times.
  12. Paterson, Stewart (10 July 2020). "SNP council leader Susan Aitken cleared by Standards Commissioner over husband's £1 rent deal". Glasgow Times.
  • Profile on Glasgow City Council website
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