News about local politics is hardly on national media but in the past couple of months until recently, the performance of SNP-led Glasgow City Council dominated several news media coverages.

And having a third pair of eyes on the city, besides what the SNP would call the usual suspects, proved to be a revelation for many.

I am of course referring to COP26 which Glasgow hosted, a moment of pride for every Glaswegian as we were at the forefront of diplomatic efforts to ensure that our planet and its inhabitants are safe. Glasgow, even if for only a couple of days, was the centre of the universe. Beneath the surface though, there was a different tension, a different emergency that the SNP council administration would rather bury and hide away.

Social media would, however, prove too powerful a tool for Glaswegians who truly love their city, as pictures emerged of unclean streets, filthy roads, and rat-infested areas. This was not the image Glaswegians wanted to project to the world, but it couldn’t be hidden.

In response, the council leader said Glasgow needed a “spruce up” further infuriating several residents in the city. This therefore begs the question: if the SNP cannot keep Glasgow clean during such a vital conference, will they ever care about Glasgow when no-one is watching?

There is a climate emergency but in the eyes of Glaswegians, there is also a cleansing emergency which the SNP have failed to properly address. The Glasgow Conservative group in response to this emergency have been running a CleanUp Glasgow campaign for months because we see this as an urgent issue. Put simply, the cleansing workforce requires urgent investment, and the current bulk uplift charge needs to be scrapped. There is also a wider question about the leadership of the city. The SNP, aided by the Greens, have been in charge since 2017 and things have become worse for residents in the city. The frequency of bin collection has reduced, recycling waste is not being properly collected, and council tax has gone up with poorer services received in return.

I started by talking about COP26 which Glasgow proudly hosted. Surely, if the conference would mean anything to ordinary Glaswegians in the long run and leave a legacy on the city, the current cleansing crisis needs to be addressed as an emergency. This means, like COP26, pulling together resources and demanding action rather than make excuses.