Glasgow should 'declare state of emergency' to fix service-cut city overwhelmed by 'rat epidemic', union warns
A waste expert has said Glasgow has become 'really dirty'
Chris Mitchell/Flickr
The Scottish Government and councils have been urged to take action ahead of the upcoming Commonwealth Games which could “make or break the city’s future”, a cleansing conveyor at the GMB union told GB News.
Missed bin collections, cuts to services and an influx of rats have all contributed to Glasgow’s “dirty” reputation, with some locals calling on officials to “declare a state of emergency”.
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GMB union convener for refuse and cleaning Chris Mitchell said that the constant cuts to waste services are proving detrimental.
“We should be declaring an emergency, both because of the sheer volume of waste and also the rat epidemic,” he told the People’s Channel.
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In a survey by Time Out Magazine, 67 per cent of people in Glasgow who participated used ‘dirty’ to describe the city.
Chris Mitchell
“Waste collection has seen some of the biggest cuts that I’ve seen,” he said. “Waste collection is a statutory service. Street cleansing is also a statutory service, they’re there to ensure the basic needs of the public are met.”
Mitchell said: “Councils have an obligation of keeping cities clean, they’re on the verge of breaking that obligation.”
Next year, the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2. Mitchell said the games will be a “chance to show the world the best” of the city.
“I've been very vocal in the fact that I want the games to promote the city, which is full of great culture and great people.
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In 2022, the Scottish city was labelled the third filthiest city in the world
Chris Mitchell
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“However, I fear that the legacy of the games will sadly depend on the state of Glasgow’s streets.
“People will come here and think ‘My god, it’s really filthy here’ and the only race we’ll come first in is the rat race.”
In 2022, the Scottish city was labelled the third filthiest city in the world.
In a survey by Time Out Magazine, 67 per cent of people in Glasgow who participated used ‘dirty’ to describe the city.
Mitchell said: “Councils need to take responsibility, the Scottish Government needs to take responsibility for funding.”
“We all need to sit around the table and come up with a solution that is going to benefit this city because I will fight tooth and nail to get funding.
“We need to make sure we’ve got a good games and to make sure we’ve got a clean city that everybody enjoys.
“But if there's a continuation of denial, they are never going to fix the problem, or we're going to keep going around in circles and pointing fingers.”
According to data obtained by an FOI from Glasgow Live, rat populations have spiked from 6,180 to 8,959 from 2019 to 2023.
Chris Mitchell said that the problem is getting worseChris Mitchell - GMB
Next year, the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2
PA
The same request also revealed that the NHS has had to deal with over 100 patients who have required treatment from rat attacks.
A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow has a fantastic track record at delivering major events and event organisers are always full of praise for the city.
“The city’s environment is a top priority and we have frontline environmental teams working every day throughout the city to keep Glasgow in good order.
‘Our recently expanded street cleansing team is up to 470-strong and this includes the Deep Clean Team, which works through every city ward to tackle stubborn grime, weeds, hard to reach litter and other environmental issues.
“Glasgow runs Scotland’s biggest street cleansing operation and still spends more per head of population on street cleansing than almost every other local authority in Scotland.
“But research shows litter is dropped every three seconds in Glasgow.
“Residents and visitors have a crucial role to play by ensuring all litter goes in one of the city’s 5500 public litter bins and all other waste is disposed of properly.
“We are engaging with the event organisers for 2026 and any further plans will be developed in conjunction with them.”
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