Susan Aitken quits as Glasgow council leader after nine years and says the city is "safe"

Susan Aitken formally stood down as leader of Glasgow City Council on 10 September 2026 after leading a minority SNP administration since 2017. Her nine years in charge covered a period the council describes as turbulent, with growing public attention on the condition of the city centre and on anti-social behaviour.

In media interviews Aitken defended her time as leader and said she was proud of the administration's response to multiple crises. She pointed to large external pressures — Brexit, the COVID pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and international conflict — as contextual factors that affected Glasgow as a city. Aitken said she believed Glasgow is "a safe city," while acknowledging visible hotspots of anti-social behaviour and criminality in parts of the city centre.

Aitken acknowledged there are specific areas with visible anti-social behaviour and criminality. She said Police Scotland take the lead on those matters and described collaboration between the council and police on responses. She made a point of describing routine walks through the city centre, including visits to George Square and Merchant City, to underline her view that the city remains broadly safe.

Aitken declined to take part in a BBC Disclosure documentary that recorded open drug-dealing around St Enoch and covered disruptive far-right protests in the city centre. She gave an interview to STV in which she defended her record and reiterated her position on safety and city management.

Leadership change and political reactions

Ricky Bell, who had been deputy council leader and city treasurer, was chosen to lead the SNP group and was elected as leader of Glasgow City Council. Labour council leader Rashid Hussain said a change of leader does not automatically solve street-level problems, housing shortages or local service issues. Hussain said Glasgow Labour will work constructively where possible but will continue to hold the SNP to account and present an alternative to the current administration.

Expect continuity in policy direction given Ricky Bell's role within the previous administration. Short-term priorities already highlighted by critics include addressing visible anti-social behaviour in city-centre hotspots, stabilising council finances exposed by auditors' warnings on temporary accommodation costs, and responding to pressures on homelessness services. Political debate is likely to focus on whether leadership change produces different outcomes for streets, homes and local services.