AS I have discovered in the two years since being elected to politics, even local council politics can be a tough business.  

Often difficult decisions taken locally, while not of world changing proportions, are viewed, rightly, by constituents as being of huge importance.

They affect the running of their day-to-day lives and the communities in which they reside.  

Perhaps even more so than the wider national and international politics being managed at Holyrood and Westminster; decisions taken at the City Chambers have a more immediate and personal impact.  

It is therefore vital local councillors are attuned to the views of their constituents and allow them to engage with the broader impact of many of the decisions taken remotely, often by a seemingly out-of-touch SNP/Green administration which would rather debate what flag flies over the City Chambers than potholes, bins or transport services.

I receive many emails from constituents who reside or work in my ward whose lives and the lives of their communities are blighted by the seeming inability of council services to carry out core functions.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am talking about people who generally don’t complain because they are far too busy running their own lives and that of their families, and wish only that they can live in a community which is clean, well maintained and safe for their children to play in.    

The provision of safe, clean and vibrant communities is exactly the job description of any one of the 32 local authorities that exist in Scotland.  

Furthermore, the direction and oversight of that provision is done by a group of elected councillors of which there are 85, yes you read that correctly, in Glasgow.  

As I have discovered in my short period as an elected member of the council, many of my constituents who either write, attend surgeries or community councils or who correspond via social media are almost 100% focused on the state of their schools, roads, cleansing as well as the general appearance of their communities, including the all-important city centre.  

That is what they and I consider to be the core focus of my duties. It is such a shame therefore, that I regularly have to explain to constituents the misuse of valuable full council time debating a variety of topics which are not within the competency of the council or are issues over which we can have no effect or influence.  

To be clear, I am not downplaying the importance of topics such as the constitution or foreign affairs. I would be overjoyed to think that the provision of council services was so assured and efficient that we had to occupy our time by debating broader issues.

Unfortunately, that is not the case. I know that because my constituents let me know how dissatisfied they have become in recent years with this SNP/Green council and how, during this time, they have seen their communities deteriorate.  

In addition, taxi drivers regularly contact me to assist them through the cack-handed introduction of the Low Emission Zone, while small business owners in the city centre continue to see their livelihoods damaged as a result of incompetent management of our once beautiful city and now turn to Glasgow Conservatives for support.  

They do this because they know in the Glasgow Conservatives they have an open ear and an understanding that our city can only thrive and grow as they and the communities they serve do.

Meanwhile the SNP, in thrall to the anti-growth Greens, just aren’t listening and are much happier playing pretend Holyrood or Westminster at George Square rather than taking local action for local issues. Your issues, your locality.