Glasgow's position as a major driver of Scotland's overall economy is to be given political recognition today at a conference exploring recent investment in the city.

Cabinet Secretary Neil Gray will tell the State of the City Economy Conference that Glasgow must keep reinventing itself as it has done in recent decades from its industrial past.

Glasgow, which was recently named the UK's top city outwith London, produces more than a third of Scotland’s jobs and in 2021 contributed £48 billion to the economy.

The Wellbeing Economy Secretary is expected to outline work completed through the Scottish Government’s £520 million City Region Deal investment and support ambitions to make Glasgow a metropolitan region.

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Mr Gray will say: “This city has transformed itself again and again to become a vibrant hub of economic and cultural diversity.

“It’s one of the reasons Glasgow leads the UK, beyond London, in this year’s World’s Best Cities Report."

In a list of the city's achievements, Mr Gray will also focus on the hosting of the Banksy exhibition, a story broken exclusively by The Herald. Mr Gray will add: "A year when the Cycling World Championships wheeled into Glasgow.

"A year when Banksy spray-painted his way to the city’s Gallery of Modern Art. And a year when the Burrell captured the collective imagination to win Art Fund Museum of the Year.

"In March, the Sighthill Bridge opened.

"It is a vital link between Sighthill and neighbouring communities. It was further striking this year to witness the arrival of another new bridge, this time reconnecting Govan and Partick.

"I look forward to seeing the opening of this new crossing next spring."

The annual World’s Best Cities Report by global place branding advisor Resonance Consultancy saw Scotland’s largest city rise up the rankings to 61 from its 93rd position last year.

In part thanks to its educational reputation, Glasgow is the second ranked UK city after London, which came in again as the world’s best city, with Manchester 11 places behind at 72.

Liverpool was ranked at 74, Birmingham at 85 and Leeds at 88.

The 25th State of the City Economy Conference is Glasgow City Council’s principal economic event, bringing together senior representatives from government, commerce, academic institutions and the third sector to focus on Glasgow’s economy and to look forward to the next 12 months.

In a speech designed to encourage local government and business leaders to make even more of Glasgow’s strengths, Mr Gray will also focus on the research excellence of its universities.

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Mr Gray will further add: "We will work to empower the region to not only drive forward the Clyde Mission, alongside the City Region Deal, but also to make the most of the spending and tax reliefs brought by hosting an Investment Zone.

"We want to support local government and business to transform the Glasgow City Region in a way that puts the wellbeing of the people first, grows the economy and improves the environment.

"We want to see that compelling vision of the Glasgow Metropolitan Region that you aspire to be.

"We want to get a feel for how it will work. And we want a taste of what it can achieve."