Projects Have Failed To End Poverty In Glasgow

Decades of initiatives have failed to wipe out poverty in some of Glasgow’s most deprived areas, a conference heard today. Strathclyde University’s Professor Michael Pacione said politicians must consider “new approaches” for the city’s poorest communities, or the problem would always remain.

In the keynote speech at the Transcending Poverties conference in the City Chambers, Prof Pacione highlighted “major environments of disadvantage” including Possilpark and Govan.

He said the areas had continued to exhibit some of the worst poverty, despite years of initiatives for change. Prof Pacione said: “It is important for society to improve the quality of life for the many Glaswegians living in poverty.”

The conference at Glasgow City Chambers, organised by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, was attended by politicians, academics, religious leaders and business figures.

Participants had contributed to an action plan with ideas to tackle poverty, using Glasgow’s problems as case study, which was outlined at the event by Sir John Arbuthnott, chairman of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Glasgow City Council leader Steven Purcell said more work needed to be done to eradicate poverty, despite “real progress” being made and there being more jobs in the city than ever.

He said: “In spite of this, many Glaswegians are still excluded from the positive improvements the city has enjoyed recently.

“The challenge now facing Glasgow is to remedy this and to ensure every citizen is part of Glasgow’s success.”