Aiden Thomas (1991-) was Mayor of Glasgow from 20 April 2015 to 25 June 2018, preceding Henry MacFarlane. Thomas' mayoralty was marked by several progressive reforms, including an expansion of public services (i.e. free public transport and more education funding), but also by the implementation of an unpopular media censorship law. Opposition to this law resulted in a liberal revolution in 2018, with Labour losing its second-place status on the city council and the Liberal Democrats surging to the lead.
Biography[]
Aiden Thomas was born in Drumchapel, Glasgow, Scotland in 1991. Raised in a working-class household, Thomas trained as an electrician before becoming Glasgow's youngest union president. In 2015, he was chosen to head his party list during that year's city council elections. While the SNP placed in first with 40.29% of the vote and 12/30 council seats, Labour placed in second with 27.92% and 9/30 seats, followed by the Liberal Democrats with 14.55% and 4/30 seats, the Scottish Greens with 13.51% and 4/30 seats, and the Scottish Conservatives with 3.73% and 1/30 seats. With the support of the Greens and Liberal Democrats, Thomas won 16 councillors' votes to SNP leader Laura Knox's 11, becoming Mayor on 20 April 2015.
Mayoralty[]
Under Thomas, the city council voted 24-2 for an ambulance service, 18-9 for a coffee tax, 23-3 for a bus transport service, 19-6 against a school bus tax, 26-0 for the thermal insulation of buildings, 25-0 for an agricultural subsidy, and 25-1 for maternity leave. On 18 April 2016, new elections saw the SNP fall to 36.78% and 11/30 seats, Labour rise to 28.83% and 9/30 seats, the Lib Dems rise to 20.03% and 6/30 seats, the Greens fall to 11.69% and 3/30 seats, and the Tories fall to 2.66% and 1/30 seats. Thomas won re-election with 17 votes to Knox's 9.
The council proceeded to vote 12-11 for a housing tax, 16-10 to decriminalize minor offenders, 19-4 for free public transportation, 18-4 for a pollution tax, and 23-2 for sports funding. On 22 May 2017, new elections saw the SNP fall to 35.17% and 11/30 seats, Labour rise to 33.81% and 10/30 seats, the Lib Dems rise to 20.36% and 6/30 seats, the Greens fall to 6.10% and 2/30 seats, and the Tories rise to 4.56% and 1/30 seats. The council voted 16-12 for a land tax before mayoral elections were held, and Thomas was re-elected with 17 votes to Knox's 11.
The council went on to vote 18-8 against a Sunday shopping ban, 14-11 against a luxury tax, 10-9 for an election majority bonus (failing to meet the threshold), 18-6 for media censorship, 9-8 to keep the pollution tax, 28-0 for public school funding, 21-5 for arts subsidies, 23-5 for agriculture research, 26-2 for gender quotas, 25-1 for a scholarship, and 22-3 for an airport tax.
A severe economic downturn, coupled with the unpopularity of media censorship, led the Liberal Democrats to engage in several weeks of pro-democracy protests and even a three-week strike in the leadup to the 11 June 2018 council elections. At that election, the Liberal Democrats surged to 31.97% and 10/30 seats, while the SNP fell to 27.58% and 8/30 seats, Labour fell to 26.91% and 8/30 seats, the Tories rose to 7.03% and 2/30 seats, and the Greens rose to 6.51% and 2/30 seats. With the support of Labour and the Tories, Lib Dem leader Henry MacFarlane won 13 councillors votes to Knox's 12, becoming the next Mayor of Glasgow.