THE goings-on at Westminster are dominating the news agenda and with a UK General Election looming, that’s only going to ramp up in the months ahead.

The race and misogyny scandal engulfing the Tories and their biggest donor, and the plotting which could see a fourth prime minister since the last election, lays bare the sleaze and desperation of the current party of power.

Meanwhile, the shameful and shambolic handling of the situation in Gaza by Sir Keir Starmer and allegations of strong-armed interference in the Commons exposes once again the moral vacuum at the heart of UK Labour.

But it’s crucial we don’t lose sight of the fact that real politics is about ordinary people and the impact of policies on everyday lives.

Last month, Glasgow City Council set our most difficult Budget in generations. The rampant inflation resulting from Tory economic mismanagement has placed unbearable pressures on public finances.

At the same time, ideology of austerity continues to result in some of the deepest social and economic inequalities in Europe.

And with an expected Labour government more concerned with protecting bankers’ bonuses than the poorest and most vulnerable, here in Scotland we have no choice but to get on with the business of helping struggling households with the resources available to us.

Tomorrow, the SNP are asking all parties on the council to support a new approach which will put cash directly into the hands of low-income households experiencing deepening inequalities.

As part of our efforts to address both the cost-of-living crisis and the causes of poverty, £1.2 million was set aside at February’s Budget.

Within the new Tackling Poverty Fund, £500,000 is being used to pilot a “cash-first” approach to support families facing food insecurity so we can reduce the need for food banks, with a further £300,000 going directly to citizens in financial crisis.

The remainder will be dedicated to helping families and individuals move on from homeless accommodation, as well as supporting families with a disabled child and a new scheme to provide children’s clothing.

Councillors will also hear how the £2.2m set aside to help address the impacts of the cost-of-living crisis in last year’s Budget has assisted many thousands of Glaswegians, including helping them secure around £7.5m in benefits, grants and other financial supports.

It’s really good to see how effective direct engagement with families through our schools has been, as well as the impact of assistance delivered through the Fuel Support Fund and work with single parent families.

It would be too easy to throw up our hands at the scale of the task in Glasgow or to believe our efforts barely touch the sides of poverty challenges.

But our interventions do make a practical and meaningful difference to the lives of Glaswegians, particularly at a time when too many are being pushed to the brink.

Even as we face our most difficult choices, the SNP city government will keep on prioritising households and communities who have been hit hard by Tory economic mismanagement.

And with yet another senior Labour figure gushing about the Thatcher era which caused so much deep devastation to Glasgow, it looks like we’ll be waiting a long time before any party in government at Westminster is going to help out where it’s needed most.

TOMORROW’S City Administration Committee shows the sheer scale of the work going on at the council just now.

I’m especially pleased to see real momentum on the work on Clyde Metro. The business cases to determine routes and destinations, technology, timetables for delivery, funding and the transformational impacts across the city region have either been awarded or gone out to tender.

This is detailed and specialised work and will take time to complete.

But when it is, Glaswegians can have full confidence in the delivery of a modern mass transit system that our city should have had in place decades ago.