EARLIER this month representatives from what has been the most successful peace project in history and a vehicle for economic growth from which Scotland has benefited for decades gathered in George Square.

From Latvia to Luxembourg, Poland to Portugal and Slovenia to Spain they joined in solidarity in Scotland’s biggest city to celebrate our links and our commonality with Europe.

Of course, the irony was lost on no-one. Come May 2019 we will host another Europe Day. But against the will of the overwhelming majority of its citizens, Brexit will be well underway. Our membership of what has proven time and again to be a promoter and protector of our human rights will be forsaken for the harshest of Tory Brexits.

The European Union is not without its faults. But the people of Glasgow, the people of Scotland, made it clear that this was infinitely preferable to be driven off a social, cultural and economic cliff by a group of Tory ideologues harking back to some mythical golden age.

Fast forward to last Thursday and myself and colleagues within the SNP City Government proposed a new international strategy for Glasgow, a plan to promote the city and tell our story while reaffirming our commitment to engaging with Europe, regardless of the unwanted barriers Brexit has laid before us.

It is vital that Glasgow maintains a global outlook and confidently engages with other cities and countries to ensure that Glasgow is seen to be a great place to visit, live, work and do business. We are a city which takes pride in being an outward-looking and welcoming place. Glaswegians embrace internationalism. It’s in the city’s DNA.

Our history is rooted in migration; from the Irish, Italians and Jews from Eastern Europe who came in the 19th Century, the parents and grandparents of our fellow Glaswegians who arrived in the second half of the 20th Century from Pakistan and India to the many thousands who in the last couple of decades have fled persecution and sought

sanctuary here or simply availed of the freedom of movement the EU provides.

And then we have the many thousands of international students attracted by our world class universities.

And just in the last fortnight the office of our Lord Provost has had visiting delegations from Sweden, Iceland, Germany, Austria, and Spain. The Italian Ambassador has also graced our City Chambers. Will we still

be an international city after Brexit? Of course we will. But while it remains unclear precisely what type of Brexit we will have forced upon us, what is for certain is that it will cause considerable damage to the city, its economy, its

vitality and its international standing and ambitions.

So the time is right to refresh our international strategy. Our existing strategy has been left untouched since 2012. The world and Glasgow’s place in it has changed markedly since then. We need a new understanding of our

priorities for international engagement and, more importantly, our relationship with Europe.

People and how they will be impacted must be at the heart of our response to Brexit. The message must be that we will continue to engage with the world and the world is welcome in Glasgow.

People across the world must know we are open for business, for study, and for people to make this great city their home. We have a target of attracting one million visitors annually to Glasgow. Brexit must not jeopardise that.

Meanwhile, we are committed to remaining one of 80 members of the Cities4 Europe campaign, which will help maintain our voice post-Brexit. I am delighted to say that the majority of your political representatives on the

City Council voted for the development of a new international strategy, one which we will work on with our key partners to ensure that everyone knows that this world class city remains global, open and welcoming.