Glasgow Corporation

Glasgow was given its first burgh charter sometime between 1175 and 1178 by William the Lion.^[4] It was then run by "Glasgow Town Council", also known as "Glasgow Corporation", until 1975. The city was part of Lanarkshire until 1893, but the functions which operated at county level were relatively few, largely being limited to lieutenancy and sheriffdom. When elected county councils were created in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, Glasgow Corporation was deemed capable of running its own affairs and so the city was excluded from the area controlled by Lanarkshire County Council, although the county council nevertheless chose to meet in Glasgow as a conveniently accessible location.^[5][6] In 1893, Glasgow became its own county for lieutenancy and sheriffdom purposes too, being made a county of itself.^[7]

The boundaries of the burgh were extended several times to incorporate areas where the urban zone outgrew the previous boundaries or where there were plans for development. These significant expansions comprise:

• 1830 - Blythswood^[8]
• 1846 - Anderston, Calton, and Gorbals^[9]
• 1891 - Crosshill, Govanhill, Pollokshields, Pollokshields East, Hillhead, and Maryhill^[10]
• 1905 - Kinning Park^[11]
• 1912 - Govan, Partick, and Pollokshaws^[12]
• 1926 - Cardonald, Crookston, Lambhill, Mansewood, Millerston, Nitshill, Scotstounhill, and Yoker^[13]
• 1938 - Castlemilk, Darnley, Drumchapel, and Easterhouse^[14]

City of Glasgow District Council

Local government across Scotland was reorganised in 1975 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, which replaced the counties and burghs with a two-tier structure of upper-tier regions and lower-tier districts. Glasgow became a district within the Strathclyde region. The local authority was therefore renamed the "City of Glasgow District Council". The Glasgow district covered a larger area than the pre-1975 city, gaining Baillieston, Cambuslang, Carmunnock, Carmyle, Garrowhill, Mount Vernon, Rutherglen, and Springboig.^[15][16][17]

Glasgow City Council

Local government was reorganised again in 1996 under the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, which abolished the regions and districts created in 1975 and established 32 single-tier council areas across Scotland, one being the city of Glasgow. The council adopted its modern name of "Glasgow City Council" following these reforms. The council area created in 1996 was smaller than the district which had existed between 1975 and 1996, with the Rutherglen and Cambuslang area being transferred instead to the new South Lanarkshire council area following a local referendum.^[18][19]

Leadership

For leaders before 1996 see Politics of Glasgow

The council is ceremonially headed by the Lord Provost of Glasgow, who convenes meetings of the council and performs associated tasks as a general civic leader. The role dates from the 15th century. Since 1893, when the city was made a county of itself, the Lord Provost has also acted as Lord Lieutenant of the city. The current Lord Provost, elected in May 2022 after that month's election, is Jacqueline McLaren.

Political leadership is provided by the leader of the council. The council changed from an executive-led governance system to a committee-led system in September 2017, with the leader of the council since then chairing the City Administration Committee.^[21] The leaders since 1996 have been:^[22]

Composition

Following the 2022 election: