THE boss of Scotland’s biggest local authority is to be challenged next week on the decision to support an arms fair next month.
Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow city council, will face questions from the Green group over plans for the event at the Scottish Event Campus, which is more than 90 per cent owned by the council.
Dozens of firms from around the world are expected to gather at the Clydeside venue to promote their defence and security equipment.
Campaigners have attacked the plans and branded the Undersea Defence Technology 2018 exhibition a “Trident showcase”. BAE Systems and Babcock International, which are designing and constructing a new fleet of Trident nuclear submarines, are the fair’s lead sponsors.
Green Councillor Jon Molyneux, told The National that the leader of the SNP led council would be asked at a meeting of the full council next Thursday if she thought the council’s support for the event was appropriate.
“We want to know whether the leader thinks it is appropriate for the council to be supporting such an event – especially in the context of Glasgow having taken a leadership role on peace and disarmament issues in the past,” he said.
“There are clearly questions that need to be answered by the political leadership of the council. The Greens are clearly opposed to the event taking place.”
The city council has said the event was held in Glasgow in 2008 and has stressed conferences and exhibitions are worth £130 million to the local economy each year.
Scottish CND and Scottish Resistance have confirmed they plan to hold a demonstration during the three-day gathering, which opens on June 26.
There is also concern the city council’s arms-length leisure services charity, Glasgow Life, is supporting the event.
In a letter to deputy council leader David McDonald, who is also Glasgow Life chairman, Scottish CND secretary Jean Anderson expressed concern that Glasgow Life is welcoming to Glasgow a conference “which will attract a great deal of disapproval and cause anxiety in the Glasgow populace”.
She added: “We understand the event will bring money into the city but we do not find that justified when it means supporting something morally wrong.”
A city council spokesman has said its convention bureau works with venues and event organisers to bring conferences and exhibitions to the city, generating about £130m for the local economy each year and supporting thousands of jobs.
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