The Chris Mitchell Column - Glasgow’s Urgent Opportunity: A Deep Clean Before the Commonwealth Games
Dirty Old Town to Shining City: Glasgow's 18-Month Race to Clean Up for the World Stage
Tipping point Our new columnist Chris Mitchell says Glasgow needs a deep clean ahead of thousands of athletes and spectators heading to the city for the Commonwealth Games in 2026
EXCLUSIVE by Chris Mitchell, GMB Convenor For Refuse and Cleaning, Glasgow
With just 18 months until the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow faces a pivotal moment—one that could either make or break our city’s future.
This is our time to shine, to show the world the best of Glasgow. But the truth is, we’re on the brink of a crisis. The streets are suffocating under the weight of years of cuts to vital public services, and the impact is being felt across our economy, health, and reputation.
The Commonwealth Games 2026 is a chance to redefine Glasgow, to boost our economy, attract global tourism, and showcase our culture. But none of that will matter if visitors arrive to a city overrun with waste, plagued by rats, and suffering from years of neglect.
We have just over a year—12 months—to deep clean this city. It's a window of opportunity we can’t afford to miss. But reaching that goal requires more than good intentions; it requires investment in the services that keep our city clean, safe, and welcoming.
Street cleaning and road sweeping are vital. Yet, years of cuts are evident. Walk the streets of Glasgow, and the impact is clear. Every person deserves a clean, safe city. The only way to achieve this is by investing heavily in street cleaning.
When you visit any city, the first thing you notice is how clean—or dirty—it is. A dirty city leaves a lasting, negative impression. It harms tourism, deters investment, and hurts businesses. Clean streets are essential to a thriving city.
Mess Overflowing bins and dumped rubbish are turning Glasgow's Southside into a landfill
In Glasgow, our campaign is highlighting a critical issue—investors want to come here, but they’re turned off by the sheer volume of waste in the streets. This is more than just a cleanliness problem; it’s an economic crisis. The state of our streets is deterring investment, and that has far-reaching consequences for businesses, the workforce, and local employment.
A dirty city sends the wrong message. It’s time to invest in the street cleaning services that are crucial to both our pride and prosperity.
As GMB Convenor for Glasgow, with 33 years on the frontlines, I’ve witnessed firsthand the toll of public service cuts—the loss of 600 street cleaners, the reduction of road sweepers, and the ripple effects these cuts have had on every part of Glasgow life.
In years past, Glasgow conducted essential sewer baiting checks every five or six years to prevent rat infestations. But that hasn’t been done for a decade. The results are obvious: unchecked rat populations and a growing public health crisis. We’ve reached the tipping point.
It’s not just about cleaning up; it’s about health, safety, and economic survival. A dirty city sends a message to the world: "We don’t care." And right now, that’s the message Glasgow is sending.
If tourists and investors encounter filthy streets, they won’t return. Local businesses will suffer, and our city’s potential will remain untapped.
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Glasgow is a city brimming with potential—its culture, history, people, and vibrancy. But we won’t reach that potential if we continue ignoring the problems at our feet. We need boots on the ground—more street cleaners, more pest control, more investment in public services that are the backbone of a healthy city.
We need to restore these services to ensure Glasgow isn’t just clean for the Games but ready to stand tall for the long term.
The Commonwealth Games is more than just an event—it’s a transformative moment for Glasgow. But we can’t let that transformation happen while we’re still drowning in waste and disease.
I refuse to let Glasgow be showcased at the Commonwealth Games while our streets are buried in waste, as if we’re racing to the finish line in a rat race that’s tarnishing our city’s image.
We have one shot to get this right, and the next 18 months are critical. We have the opportunity to make Glasgow the shining city it deserves to be—a clean, safe, investment-friendly city. The world is watching, and we can’t afford to fail.
This is the time for action. It’s time for Glasgow’s leaders to stop hiding behind vague terms like “efficiencies” and “service changes.” The people of this city deserve better. We need to rally together, demand the resources we need, and show the world what Glasgow stands for.
A clean city isn’t just a luxury—it’s a necessity. It’s about what we owe to the people who live here, the tourists who come, and the businesses that will drive our economy forward.
This is Glasgow’s moment. We can’t waste it.
The clock is ticking. Let’s deep clean this city, restore our essential services, and ensure that when the world comes to visit, they see Glasgow at its best. The time to act is now.