THIS is my last Evening Times column as city leader.

I have decided to step down on 10 September.

A new council leader will be appointed on that day.

I have been a councillor since 1999 and I am in my sixth year as leader.

The time is right for me to move on, although in the short term I will remain as ward councillor for Anderston/City.

My emotions are mixed. I am enormously proud of what Glasgow has achieved in recent years.

And it has been an honour to be in a position to play my part in that success.

Stand-out achievements include delivering the Commonwealth Games and signing the UK's biggest City Deal that will create 29,000 new jobs.

And while change is always a bit un-settling, I am excited about the next phase for me.

Friends keep reminding me that there is life beyond elected politics; 'in the real world', as they describe it.

They are right, of course.

My future will take care of itself and is a matter of limited interest.

Far more important is how Glasgow is placed for the years ahead.

We all have an interest in that. And in this regard we have every reason to be confident.

Our economy is more diversified than ever before, with sectoral strengths including engineering, renewables, retail, bio-science and finance.

The City Deal provides a foundation for future investment and jobs across Clyde valley, and our relations with the business and academic communities are strong and productive.

Much of our social housing stock has been transformed, and I recently launched a new housing strategy that will see 25,000 new mixed-tenure homes built over the next 10 years.

This will create jobs and apprenticeships and will help us house our growing population - in itself a healthy sign.

Tourism, conferences and major events is an area where we enjoy great success.

Our world class sports and arts venues, and our award-winning People Make Glasgow brand help us to market Glasgow at home and abroad as a great place to live, work, study, visit and start a business.

We are investing record amounts in our school buildings, our exam results are improving every year, and our renowned universities are attracting growing numbers of students from abroad.

We maintain strong and important links with the third sector and our Poverty Leadership Panel is a model of partnership-working that will oversee lasting social change.

Politically, I am proud to hand over the leadership of the 45-strong Labour Group to my successor.So far, 86 of our 100 Labour pledges have been delivered.

The remaining 14 are progressing well and will be completed during the remaining 20 months of this term.

If a Leader's job is to win an election and deliver on their promises to the voters then I can be quietly satisfied that it is a case of 'job done'.

That said, being leader of Glasgow is one of the biggest political jobs in the country and there have been ups and downs along the way.

I take full responsibility for any errors of judgement I have made as a result of human frailty.

But almost everyone I speak to believes that, despite the challenges we still face, Glasgow is unquestionably on the up.

There is a buzz and a confidence about this city.

Glasgow has been Scotland's big success story in recent years and that will continue.

None of this would have been possible without the professionalism and commitment to public service of the staff who work across the council family; the support and dedication of my fellow councillors; the wide range of partners in the public, private and third sectors who share our passion for improving our city; and above all the extraordinary people who together make Glasgow.

May I take this opportunity to wish health, success and happiness to all Evening Times readers and all those who, like me, love Glasgow.

Thank you for everything.

Let Glasgow Flourish!