Give George Square back to Glasgow

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jan/27/glasgow-reclaim-george-square

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George Square was once the place where all Glaswegians wanted to be at Christmas; now it has become a location that must be avoided at all costs during the festive period. This little Georgian masterpiece is, quite simply, the finest gift that the people of Glasgow have ever received. It's the true heart of Glasgow and, as such, is probably the true heart of Scotland.

Seven years ago, Glasgow's municipal panjandrums committed an act of civic vandalism on the space that sits in front of the magnificent city chambers. They ripped up the verdant splendour of the square and replaced it with burnt red tarmac without anything resembling a consultation process with the citizens of Glasgow, to whom George Square was gifted. It was representative of the contempt in which the Glasgow Labour party has traditionally held its own. The effect couldn't have been worse if you had applied 10 gallons of weedkiller to your front garden.

Before the councillors wrecked it, George Square was a magical place to visit at Christmas. On the north side, towards Queen Street station, Mary and Joseph took up residence inside a lovingly constructed glass stable with the saviour of the world, three kings and some shepherds. Christmas decorations garlanded all four sides of the square and it was a happy and tranquil place to be in the season of peace and goodwill.

I couldn't tell you now if the manger has recently featured at Christmas in George Square simply because so much noise, cheap rouge and coconut shy malarkey goes on every December that the entire place should be given an asbo. A dirty, big white wheel becomes the centrepiece instead of a child born in a stable and instead of wise men bearing gifts there is an assortment of tawdry games and stalls. You won't hear carols now, only the implacable grinding of an electric generator. It is a charnel house.

There are sacred memories scattered here and there around the square that speak of events that shaped the world. Alongside Queen Street station is the Millennium hotel, which, early in 1941, hosted a meeting that changed the course of world history. It was here that Winston Churchill met President Theodore Roosevelt's special envoy, Harry Hopkins. Roy Jenkins, in his splendid biography of Churchill, says that Churchill was moved to tears as Hopkins quoted from the Book of Ruth: "Whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people and thy God my God, even to the end."

Around 25 years earlier, the same Churchill sent tanks into George Square as the red flag was raised when tens of thousands took to the streets and threatened uprising. These historic echoes flit in and out of the statues of Robert Burns and Walter Scott; of Robert Peel and William Gladstone; of Victoria and Albert. What this wretched city council has done to George Square and what it proposes yet to do are desecrations.

Last year, it was announced that the city council wanted to give George Square a facelift in time for the Commonwealth Games in 2014. At last, we thought, the city fathers have seen the error of their ways and will now make amends for the colossal error of judgment that has blighted the city centre. Designs would be sought from the world's top landscape architects "and the tree broke at once into blossom, and the birds came and sang on it," we all thought. What could be simpler? Designs from all over the world, followed by a shortlist of six and then we, the people, being given the chance to choose how the heart of the city would be like in time to welcome our overseas guests.

Sadly, and predictably, no. This is the Labour group of Glasgow City Council, we are talking about: a body of people who, historically transform random fuck-ups into almighty ones. No sooner had we, the idiot punters, been granted a glimpse of the six designs from which the winner would be selected than we were told that, not only would we not be granted any say in the matter but that the selection process was to be scrapped. To my admittedly untrained eye, most of the designs looked eye-catching and elegant enough. None of them, though, was deemed to be good enough by the cultural titans who inhabit the city chambers. Instead, George Square will be given a squalid nip and tuck instead of the transfusion it really needs. The citizens of Glasgow will still be kept out of the selection process.

Much public money has been wasted on this project and all the city has received in return is a barrel-load of embarrassment and international ridicule. And so it is imperative that a way must be found to wrench the decision-making process away from Glasgow City Council, loathe though I am to cede any power from the sovereign city state and republic of Glasgow to the bastard legislative of Holyrood. But special needs require special solutions. Then, quite simply, the project to design the front garden of Glasgow must be handed back to the people. Let's see that set of designs again and allow us to take a long look again. Personally, I liked that one with the trees and fountains. I felt there was a wee Babylonian aspect to it that raised it above the others.

I'm sure someone could design one of those apps for the purpose of letting us all vote. Once we had downloaded them on to our iPhones, we'd all be ready to rock and roll (only those with a Glasgow council tax number could register). The winner would be chosen instantly and we could all ensure that it was environmentally sound, be hoaching with ozone-friendly outcomes and have a carbon footprint of less than the recommended three and a half.

The civic execration that is currently defacing the middle of my city must be destroyed. And, by the way, don't even think about moving the statues permanently…