I WAS standing in an unflattering hard hat in the middle of George Square the other day with Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken watching a 160-year-old bronze statue of a long-dead prince being lowered on to a big slab of granite on what is, and what will be for some time yet, an unprepossessing building site, and it was genuinely one of the most exciting moments of the year so far. Ms Aitken thought so too. “No one alive has seen anything like this,” she said.

Ms Aitken was referring in particular to the excellent condition of Prince Albert and the other statues, which were removed from the square last year and have now been renovated and are in the best nick they’ve been in since they were erected in the 1860s. Ms Aitken said the reinstatement of the statues would give people a sense that the renovation of the square was coming together and show them what it’s been for and that it’s been worth it: the disruption, the delays. And I agree with her: this is proper investment – about £20m – properly done, with, I hope, in the end, a proper square to show for it.

The leader of the council standing in front of the bronze prince on his bronze horse and telling a positive story about the city was also a welcome contrast to a few weeks ago when she was standing in front of the blackened remains of Union Street the day after the fire in March. “This is not a good morning for Glasgow,” she said, smoke rising into the sky behind her. She also said the First Minister had been in touch and told her Glasgow would not be left to deal with the issue on its own. “This has to be a national effort,” she said.

It turned out the First Minister was as good as his word when it was announced the Scottish Government would underwrite the cost of clearing the site and establish a £10m fund to support the businesses wiped out by the fire. Shona........

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