How Glasgow fire revealed depth of SNP cuts to Scottish Fire and Rescue Service
The fire service sent three high-reach appliances to the devastating fire in central Glasgow on Sunday, out of only 16 for the whole country
For more than a century and a half, the Forsyth House dome has been a familiar sight to those rushing for a train at Scotland’s busiest station. But on Sunday evening, that reassuringly solid landmark next to Glasgow Central collapsed amid raging flames.
Many witnesses seemed in shock that a building that lasted so long could vanish in a few hours. The blaze, believed to have started in a vape shop, has triggered a debate about the fire risk of lithium batteries.
The First Minister donned a high-vis jacket and declared the fire “upsetting”, while pledging money to rebuild. But for those who are already concerned about Glasgow’s proud heritage, it’s a symptom of a more worrying decline.
A neglected metropolis
Scotland’s biggest city is the engine room of the West of Scotland’s economy and an architectural jewel in Scotland’s crown. Yet despite the efforts of campaigners like my colleague, Glasgow MSP Paul Sweeney, too often our historic metropolis feels neglected and forgotten by the SNP administrations in Holyrood and George Square.
The Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building, once the highlight of many a tourist itinerary, lies gutted and hidden under protective wrapping. The ABC, once an iconic music venue with architecture dating from the golden age of cinema, was demolished last year after lying empty for years.
And one-in-ten city centre shops are empty – magnets for vandals and rats, which have a habit of nibbling through wires. The fact that so many of Glasgow’s buildings are Victorian only adds to the risk.
The Cameron House Hotel fire in my constituency claimed the lives of two young men, Simon Midgley and Richard Dyson, after ashes left in a cupboard sparked a fire that quickly spread – in part due to the old building’s many cavities.
Simon’s mother Jane successfully campaigned for Simon and Richard’s Law, which requires any future hotel conversions of historic buildings in Scotland to install sprinklers. However, there are many old buildings like the Forsyth that fall outside of this law.
Hard-pressed heroes
A Scottish Labour government will make reviving city centres a priority, with a proper regeneration plan for Glasgow and reformed business rates to help local, responsible businesses thrive.
Of course, for all the fires that are prevented, you need resources to tackle an inferno when it happens. Among the most striking images from Sunday was the firefighters’ ladder silhouetted against the blazing dome.
It was thanks to the fire services that the flames did not consume Glasgow Central and the Grand Central Hotel. Yet the backdrop to this heroism is SNP cuts.
Scotland’s fire service sent 18 fire appliances to Sunday’s blaze, including three high-reach vehicles of the type pictured. That’s nearly a quarter of all such high-reach vehicles in Scotland – there are only 16, after 10 were cut in 2023.
More cuts are proposed, with the Helensburgh Fire Station among those that would lose a 24-hour service. The Fire Brigades Union has warned the blaze highlights “the need for a fully resourced and properly funded fire and rescue service”.
This fire must be a wake-up call for Scotland as a whole. We must protect our old buildings, revive our town centres, listen to the firefighters who best understand the risks – and stop the SNP cuts.
Jackie Baillie MSP is Scottish Labour’s deputy leader
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