MINISTERS in Scotland were challenged about whether they will support trade union calls for multimillion-pound funding to secure the future of local services in Glasgow.

The city’s Labour MSP, Paul Sweeney, spoke in Holyrood today calling for the Scottish government to back demands from worker representatives to allocate an additional £17 million in funding this year to support the local authority services currently managed by Glasgow Life.

Unison representatives held a crucial meeting with senior officers last month, claiming that the funding was needed to ensure all community venues operated by the leisure and culture body can reopen. 

Unless this additional spending can be found, there are fears that almost half of the current 171 venues across Scotland’s largest city may not reopen. 

Mr Sweeney has now challenged the Scottish government to step in, pointing to the cuts made to council funding and said that the government is taking Glaswegians “for fools.”

Public Finance Minister Tom Arthur told the chamber that the government doesn’t underestimate the financial impact on local services and the importance of culture and the arts.