Petition put forward to rename Govan-Partick bridge in honour of Mary Barbour

Today Govan Community Council has submitted paperwork to the council to request the Wellbeing, Equalities, Community, Culture and Engagement City Policy Committee consider the request for a name change of the Govan-Partick Bridge to “The Mary Barbour Bridge”.

Mary Barbour brought together the tenants’ movements of Govan and Partick to campaign for the freezing of rents during the First World War. The 1915 rent strike campaign was successful and rents across the UK were fixed at their pre-war level for the rest of the war.

Ultimately the movement led to the first development of council-owned housing in 1919. Mary Barbour herself was elected in 1920 as one of Glasgow’s first women councillors, and later became Glasgow’s first female Bailie and first woman magistrate.

As a councillor, she led campaigns for free school milk, municipal wash-houses and Glasgow’s first family planning clinic. Govan Community Council feels the renaming of the bridge would be a fitting and significant tribute to a key figure in our city's history.

The Community Council also hope it might provide educational and practical benefits. Mrs Barbour is already commemorated with a statue at Govan Cross. With the new bridge, Govan is now the closest subway station for visitors to the Riverside Museum.

Thousands of people will pass the Mary Barbour Statue. Linking the bridge with the statue might encourage them to learn more about Mary Barbour and the other heritage attractions in Govan, such as The Govan Stones and the Fairfield Heritage Centre.

They would like people to spend time in Govan and not just pass through it on their way to the museum.

Danny O’Neill, Chair of Govan Community Council said: “The community in Govan has long believed that the legacy of socialist powerhouse Mary Barbour should be known by all for her incredible contribution to Govan and Glasgow.

“Our community fought for her statue at Govan Cross and now the community council is leading the charge to name our new bridge in her memory.”

Cllr Dan Hutchison, Green Councillor for Govan said: “The calls by Govan Community Council to rename the bridge in honour of one of Glasgow’s greatest champions have my full support and certainly reflect the feeling that’s been shared with me across Govan. I think it’s particularly apt that the bridge connecting Govan and Partick is named after the woman who led one of the largest rent strikes across the two communities and played a central role in the radical history of the Red Clydeside.”