by Councillor John Mooney

Last year, the Labour administration passed a no-cuts budget with no increase in council tax to protect services and hard working citizens.

Since then, the SNP have been voted into power, narrowly, with big promises of openness, respect for citizens and workers, and community involvement.

Less than a year in, they have passed a budget full of unnecessary and harmful cuts, have torn up their agreement with the trade unions, and have tried to hide from public scrutiny at every turn.

At a special meeting of council last week, a packed public gallery cried “Shame!”.

Not only shameful, but incompetent and deceitful. Facing a £671k surplus this year, due in part to prudent financial management by Labour, absolutely no cuts were needed. Only last year, the leader of the council assured the trade unions of better industrial relations and protection of services.

We were told that there would be no more treating our citizens like “customers”. But what we get are “customer surveys” to justify cutting library hours, making kids pay for musical instruments, and the running down of Dalmuir Park and big hikes in charges at the golf course.

It gets worse, because in the case of the savage cuts to the Care of Garden Scheme for elderly and disabled citizens, there was no consultation at all. This is currently being investigated by the Equalities and Human Rights Commission. This administration’s shameful disrespect for the trade unions is even in conflict with the First Minister’s policy.

In contrast, our budget would have ensured improved gritting of pavements and footpaths, a 365-day meal service for deprived kids, an increase in the school clothing grant, and no cuts to library hours and no charges for services. Labour is now in opposition at all levels of government and fighting hard against SNP and Tory austerity.

I was invited to speak at the Seniors Forum last week. I reported that I had written to the cabinet secretary for health six weeks ago, but still awaited a reply about the lack of x-ray facilities at the new health centre.

I will continue to pursue this, and the provision of other local health services, with the cabinet secretary and through the Health and Social Care Partnership. As the regional delivery plan states: health services should be delivered as locally as possible, and only centralised when absolutely necessary. We need local services, decided locally.