Published: Wednesday, 7th July, 2010 1:00pm

The nationalist voice - Ronnie McColl, council leader

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Campaign against cuts

AT last week's council meeting, the SNP administration moved a motion to take part in a local and national campaign against the cuts in public services.

We also backed the unions in their request for further discussion on how we manage the changes to the way we deliver services to you.

A combination of SNP and independent councillors won the vote.

Sadly, Labour and Scottish Socialist councillors voted against the motion, showing just how far out of touch they are with the vast majority of staff and residents of this area.

MP's silence speaks volumes

AT the same meeting, the council unanimously agreed to pressurise the new Con-Dem Government over its treatment of people being denied access to the Independent Living Fund, which is an essential lifeline for vulnerable people wishing to have as full and active a life as possible.

The council charged me with the responsibility of engaging in a cross party campaign to challenge the new Government.

Changes to the eligibility criteria not only disadvantage 21 local people who have applied and been denied access to this fund, but also many more people who currently receive the fund are now worried about what the Government will do next.

The SNP Scottish Government is backing our actions, but unfortunately, our new MP, Gemma Doyle, is silent on the issue.

I would ask Gemma to put narrow party politics aside and engage with me on this issue.

Gemma, your constituents deserve your support.

Housing regeneration

A LOTS of misinformation has been released lately about the SNP's stock transfer policy.

I want to make it clear that tenants will decide in local ballots if they wish to transfer or not.

If they vote yes, they will also have been given the opportunity to choose who their new landlord will be.

This whole strategy is about giving tenants the power to decide their own destiny.

But let us be clear — if we want to see our communities being regenerated as Renton and Haldane have been, then the vehicle for doing this is stock transfer.

Given the financial climate, it is essential that we bring new money into the regeneration of our area and that we are able to write off the historic housing debt.

This cannot be done if the council does not try to work with communities to achieve a better future.

Leisure services

THE recent decision by council to allow the sale of the Play Drome site offers an excellent opportunity for the people of Clydebank to get a new leisure facility they can be proud of, which is fit for the 21st Century.

This will be part of the on-going developments at the waterfront and the wider regeneration of Clydebank as a whole.