SNP Councillor for Calton ward, Alison Thewliss, and local Member of the Scottish Parliament, John Mason, have welcomed news that Citizen’s Advice Bureau Offices in Parkhead and Bridgeton have narrowly avoided closure, following what has been described as an “unnecessary, shambolic and questionable” tendering process put in place by Glasgow City Council.

With just 14 days to save the CABx, late transitional funding was made available on Monday night after real concerns that five CAB offices across Glasgow would face the axe at the end of the month. The short term future of the vital community service is safe for now, but the SNP’s East End team says this latest catastrophe raises “real questions” for Glasgow City Council.

SNP Councillor for Calton, Alison Thewliss, whose ward includes Bridgeton & Parkhead CABx, said:

“Parkhead and Bridgeton have over 60 years of experience between them, and they provide a vital service to the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“I am convinced there must be a better way of funding CAB offices in Glasgow – Glasgow City Council should not be putting these organisations at risk.”

Welcoming news of the CAB’s reprieve, SNP MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, John Mason – a former CAB volunteer himself – said:

“There is no doubt that the CAB provides an important service in Glasgow, perhaps no-where more so than here in the East End, where there is a great need for advice and support.

“Prior to my election as an MSP, I spent some time volunteering with the CAB between 2010 and 2011 and I know first hand the good work their staff and volunteers do. My own Constituency Office is just a few doors along from Parkhead CAB and the queue for help is literally along the block on a Tuesday afternoon, so any attempts to axe this would have been very unpopular in the community”.