The SANE Collective – Solidarity Against Neoliberal Extremism

About us

The SANE Collective is an activist group working to develop solidarity against neoliberal extremism. Our shared perspective is that neoliberal capitalist ideology is responsible for promoting and perpetuating, amongst other ills, extreme social and economic inequality, global inaction on climate justice and patriarchal structures and norms. Our shared aim is to educate, agitate and organise around progressive democratic values to assist in building a powerful counter social movement, that offers positive anti-capitalist alternatives which support communities and individuals to live in harmony with each other and the planet. Glasgow has many activist groups standing up to defend human rights, democracy and the common good which could similarly make a sustained impact yet there is currently a lack of synergy and solidarity in their work and a huge need to reach beyond our current activist bases to involve the wider population of the city.

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Photographs of Glasgow captured by GovanLens for the SANE Collective, exploring representations of hopes and fears for Glasgow, and the relationships between Glaswegians and the built environment

Funded by Necessity

SANE Reports:

Latest News

25th September 2023

Glasgow: Armed and Dangerous

The world is currently scarred by conflict – Ukraine, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea, Nagorno Karabakh, to name some examples – and this is undoubtedly set to worsen with wide scale displacement and competition over limited resources caused by the hastening of …

1st September 2023

European Municipalist Network Videos!

In October 2022, SANE took part in a gathering of the European Municipalist Network in Berlin. The EMN has put together two videos taken from interviews with attending organisations, campaigns and groups, and these are now available to watch by …

28th August 2023

Glasgow: All Planned Out?

This month, Glasgow City Council has put out an invitation in advance of the preparation of its Development Plan. The plan is aimed at setting out strategic land use changes in the city for the next 20 years, but the …

27th July 2023

Glasgow (No) Bread and Roses

Glasgow City Council prides itself in making the city a key destination for cultural and sporting events. This summer sees a succession of concerts and music festivals in Glasgow parks, the World Pipe Band Competition and the Cycling World Championships …

23rd June 2023

Glasgow – Sickening the City

This month, SANE was invited to participate in a People’s Health Assembly. Organised by the People’s Health Movement Scotland, the main aim of this assembly was to build a stronger public health movement campaigning to overturn an ongoing paradox. This …

Glasgow’s Finances: In Numbers

Taken from SANE’s report Glasgow’s Money.

£0: The amount of tax paid by the owners of the Glasgow schools PFI consortium.
£562 million: The amount still owed to the Glasgow schools PFI consortium by the council, 19 years after the project began.
£346 million: The asset value of the Glasgow schools built by the PFI consortium.
£11 million: The amount per annum the council could save if it re-financed its ‘Lobo’ loans, equivalent to the cost of running four primary schools.
13%: The number of owner-occupiers in the new housing built in Dalmarnock as part of the CommonWealth Games 2014 regeneration project who have a prior connection to the area.
£249,256: The amount earned in 2020/21 by Dr Graham Paterson, executive director of council owned City Buildings (Contracts) LLP, whose contract was terminated on 12 March 2021.
13: The number of senior council staff who earn over £100,000 per annum (up from six in 2016/17)
62: The number of Glasgow Life venues which remain closed in 2021/22 (out of 172)
71.6%: The % of council services expenditure which is going towards Education and Social Work in 2021/22.
14.3%: The rise in cost of Band D council tax in Glasgow over the past five years.
45p: The pence in every pound of Council Tax income which went towards paying off the council’s debt in 2020/21.
40.9%: The growth in the cost of private rents in Glasgow City from 2010 to 2020. Private renters have to pay the increased cost of council tax while private landlords do not.
3.5: The times more which Band H local taxpayers pay than those in Band A.
15: The times more which Band H properties are worth than those in Band A.
£270: The drop in real terms revenue funding per head from the Scottish Government to Glasgow City Council from 2013/14 to 2019/20, the highest reduction in Scotland.

Glasgow Finances: In Numbers

PDF poster available to download here:

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