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

30th May 2023

Glasgow: ‘The System’s a Monster’ – Conversations about Governance

In the most recent local government elections in 2022, turnout in Glasgow was 38.4%. This was even lower than in the previous council elections of 2017. Concerning as this overall figure is, it masks considerable variation between wards, where for …

Tweets by SANEGlasgow

28th April 2023

Glasgow’s Hidden Assets

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on introducing legislation to support community wealth building (CWB), the aim of which is an approach to economic development which focuses on how the economy can work to increase equality and wellbeing. Many would …

30th March 2023

Glasgow: No Dear Green Place

The look and the feel of city centres are important aspects of city life, because residents spend a considerable amount of time there for employment, leisure, travel and retail purposes. The greenness of city infrastructure overall plays a vital role …

24th March 2023

Educate and Liberate – An ode to what we can learn

On Tuesday 21 March, members of the SANE Collective met with members of the UCU Union following their picket at the University of Glasgow to discuss the work of SANE, scope for a People’s Plan for Glasgow, and the transformation …

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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