Possil tenement fire: coincidence and conspiracy

Dear readers, a new era has dawned. From today, single bus fares in the city are but £2 a pop. Rejoice! Over the weekend, Calum was playing poker (badly) and eating his bodyweight in food. Robbie was on the banks of Loch Lomond for a wedding, where he may have freely imbibed a little too much cask strength whisky. He repented his sins yesterday in a sweltering sauna. Beth’s off for a few days making the most of some well-earned rest. As always, let us know what you’ve been enjoying in the city in the comments. 

And now, onto your briefing.

Glasgow in Brief

🔥 A clearer picture is emerging of the circumstances that led to yesterday’s fire at a block of tenements on Stonyhurst Street, Possilpark. The flats, which are finally being renovated by owner, housing association NG Homes, had lain empty for almost two decades. The fire was intense but appears to have been extinguished before widespread damage occurred, although site investigations are still ongoing. Having secured almost £2.7 million in government investment, the homes were set to be used for people on NG Homes’s housing waiting list. Over the past month, the flats, shrouded under scaffolding as work began on the renovation, have become another flashpoint for anti-immigration sentiment and protest. Labour MSP Paul Sweeney, who arrived on the scene not long after the fire had been put out, described it as “wilful fireraising” after speaking to people on the ground. Sweeney told The Bell this morning that someone had been spotted on the scaffolding before the fire, and pointed out the “area of the fire was right at the top of the ladder on the scaffolding deck… so even looking at it, it was obvious. There’s no gas or electricity connected yet”. But why would anyone want to raise such a risky and damaging fire?