Council elections a chance to have your say

They say that all politics is local - but, to paraphrase another famous phrase, some politics is more local than others.

That is certainly the case with local, council elections.

While the past few years have been dominated by arguments and debates over Scotland’s place in the United Kingdon and the UK’s place in the European Union, the decisions that affect our everyday lives are made a lot closer to home.

But in one of life’s great paradoxes, it simply does not get voters off their feet and to the ballot box.

Turnout at the council elections in Rutherglen and Cambuslang in 2012 was a little over 38 per cent. In comparison, last year 54.3 per cent turned out for the Scottish election while in 2015 nearly 70 per cent turned out for the General Election.

And yet the issues that get people speaking the most are often those dealt with at council level: bins, street lighting, the state of our roads, lack of amenities and dog fouling. These are just a few examples.

This week we start our coverage of the forthcoming council elections on May 4. We will focus on a different ward over the next four editions. Instead of letting the politicians, or would-be-politicians, lead the debate, we will be out asking you, the voters, what you want to see in your area before putting the parties on the spot. We start this week in Cambuslang West and you can read what was said on pages 10 and 11.

Elsewhere, it was a pleasure to attend the official launch of the new R: evolve shop on Cambuslang Main Street last week and you can read more about the project on pages 24 and 25 in out Out and About feature.

We also have a packed letters page on page 32.