Much like the cycling world championships, could speed be building when it comes to finding solutions to the problems facing Glasgow, or are we going round the block with the same old suggestions?
The city’s struggles have dominated our headlines for a second week, with reporter Caroline Wilson’s exclusive interview with council leader Susan Aitken being one of our top performing stories.
Readers were passionate in their reaction to Wilson’s piece, where Aitken suggested owners of vacant buildings in the city centre could be forced to sell up if they do not invest, repair or restore them.
Admitting the challenges facing the city – including empty buildings – Aitken said Compulsory Sales Orders, which have been used in New York, are a measure the Scottish Government is now keen to explore.
Readers reacted with hope and scepticism, the latter (including opposition politicians) saying they had no confidence things would change and that they had heard such ideas before.
But we are desperate for change, and we need confidence in our decision makers. Glasgow is under the spotlight and The Herald will continue to question what is going to be done to improve its neglected areas. There are a lot of eyes on the city as the ten-day UCI Cycling World Championships rolls into town, and as columnist Hugh McDonald wrote yesterday, “this is a city that punches above its weight, outpaces rivals and sets records in the sporting world”.
History is being made with the hosting of the first world championships. Let’s hope the start of better things are also soon to come.
My second editor’s pick is on the (glamourous) topic of heat pumps, which have been a source of heated debate this week in the Scottish media following our exclusive from political correspondent David Bol on Sunday.
Bol broke the news that the Scottish Government wants Scots to replace their fossil fuel boilers with a green alternative by 2033. Those who do not, face having their EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) downgraded if they try to sell their home.
Cue much reaction from readers, opposition parties and industry experts, and a string of heat pump related content which has performed strongly for us.
This included a first-person piece from writer Rebecca McQuillan on what she has learned since getting a heat pump; reaction from entrepreneur Lord Haughey who said heat pumps were not a viable option as they do not work in many areas of Scotland; and criticism of the Scottish Government for ruling out hydrogen boilers to replace traditional gas heating systems (which prompted a tongue and cheek response from our cartoonist Steven Camley).
My third top pick comes from our coverage of the Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election, prompted by the sacking of former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier. Our political team spent much time in the constituency this week, and I enjoyed this strong colour piece/video from Kathleen Nutt who spoke with voters, summing up their mood as the SNP and Labour go head-to-head later this year.
My final editor’s pick is from our education writer James McEnaney, for his impactful explainer on the SQA (Scottish Qualifications Authority) announcement on Wednesday surrounding ‘sensitive grading’. Exam results are just around the corner and there is a lot for readers to make sense of. McEnaney helped with that perfectly in this piece. Expect more in the days to come.
Thank you for your continued support.
Catherine Salmond,
Editor
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