Glasgow City Council has received a £1m donation from McVitie’s owner after the Tollcross factory closure, raising transparency concerns among local politicians
Glasgow: So, here’s the scoop. Glasgow City Council just got a secret £1 million donation from the folks who own McVitie’s after they shut down the Tollcross factory. This closure hit the local job market hard, costing hundreds of jobs.
The Tollcross factory, which had been around for over a century, was closed in 2022 by a Turkish company called Pladis. People were not happy about it, and local politicians tried to save those jobs, but it didn’t work out.
Now, the Daily Record is saying that Pladis gave this donation to the council, but they wanted to stay anonymous. The council members found out about it in a private meeting, and the press wasn’t allowed to stick around.
John Grady, the MP for Glasgow East, is raising eyebrows about this whole situation. He’s asking the council to be open about how they plan to use the money. Before the donor’s identity was revealed, he wrote to the council asking if it was right to keep it a secret.
He’s worried that keeping the donor’s name hidden could lead to conflicts of interest. In his letter, he pointed out that it’s tough for the public to know if everything’s above board when the details are kept under wraps.
Grady said this donation is a big deal, and the council needs to clarify things so people can trust that it’s all legit. He’s all for donations but believes in being transparent about them.
He also mentioned that there should be clear rules on how the money is spent, especially since the factory closure affected the local economy. He hopes the funds will be used to benefit the east end of Glasgow.
