A year in the life

Leader says he’s proud of first year at the helm

WHAT a difference a year makes — not least if you’re Dundee City Council leader John Alexander.

This time a year ago, the father-ofone was negotiating to secure a consecutive SNP administration in the council after failing to gain an absolute majority in the city’s local elections.

He had also just been appointed leader of the party’s Dundee branch — and wife Sarah was seven months pregnant with baby number two.

Twelve months on, the 29-year-old has overseen the completion of new schools and new homes, pulled together economy-stimulating deals and endeavoured to make Dundee a “better place to live and work”.

He has also overseen the launch of the City Plan — a blueprint for longterm improvements — and Scotland’s first ever local Physical Activity Strategy.

John sat down with the Tele to discuss the last year, from the highs to the lows and everything in between.

He said: “It’s unbelievable how quickly it has gone by — and how far we’ve come.

“Things have changed a lot for me, but I think we’re currently in a good position in terms of how the city has changed after months of work.”

At the time of last year’s local election, the SNP manifesto included 100 promises that John and his team of councillors pledged to complete within their five-year tenure.

They include improving attainment in schools, building more social housing and tackling fuel poverty.

He claimed today that 70% of those pledges had either been met, or were on their way to being completed. In some cases, he claimed the council has gone above and beyond – upping a promise of 667 new social houses to 1,000.

Another personal highlight of John’s is the Dundee Decides programme, where £1.2 million of council spending was put to a vote.

About one in 10 Dundonians cast their vote in the scheme — but it was criticised by those unhappy at being made to choose between swingsets and dropped pavements.

He said: “We put the power back in the hands of the people with Dundee Decides. It’s been a real learning curve and it’s something we can look back on in the future.”

While he’s proud of deals secured for the flourishing Waterfront, including one with Chinese firm COES to set up its UK HQ in the city, he says the regeneration effort extends further than many seem to think at present.

He said: “There are a lot of changes at the Waterfront, but there are things we have been doing further out.

“We are backing communities. We’re investing in new community centres, such as at Menzieshill. We’ve built new social housing on Alexander Street and we’re about to start on Derby Street.

“In 2018 we’re opening new, first class schools at the heart of communities. But it’s not just about the new.

“We have invested more than £30m in external wall insulation, tackling fuel poverty. We have the Regional Sports Performance Centre — which will not just be for the elites,

John Alexander with Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution Derek Mackay during a visit to the city.