'People want the Scottish Government to get the basics right'

I want to commend every candidate, from every party, who put themselves forward.

Standing up for your beliefs takes courage, even when we disagree.

I also congratulate all those elected to Parliament, including Marie McNair, who will represent Clydebank and Milngavie.

On the doors, one message came through clearly: people are fed up, and they want the Scottish Government to get the basics right.

A crucial part of that is investing properly in councils, which are the backbone of the public realm.

Strong local services give people pride in their communities and rebuild confidence that politics can make a real difference in everyday life.

Yet council funding continues to be squeezed, and the Scottish Government plans to introduce new council tax bands to plug the gap.

Based on the Scottish Government’s Spending Review from January, combined with rising inflationary pressures, we are forecasting a £10 million budget shortfall.

A fair, inflation-linked settlement would allow us to close that gap.

As a Labour minority administration of eight councillors in a chamber of twenty-two, we remain committed to working constructively with all political groups to legally balance the budget and deliver a fair outcome for our communities.

Earlier this year, Labour committed £120,000 from the cost-of-living fund to support food banks across West Dunbartonshire, including Faifley FoodShare, Old Kilpatrick Food Parcels, Dalmuir Barclay Food Pantry, Food for Thought in Dumbarton, and West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare.

We also invested £100,000 in the SHINE programme to tackle holiday hunger.

In March, West Dunbartonshire Labour called on the Scottish Government to pass on the additional funding announced in the UK Spring Statement to support children with Additional Support Needs (ASN).

For West Dunbartonshire, this would mean £5 million a year for two years, rising to £5.9 million thereafter.

This investment could increase staff capacity in ASN classrooms and help deliver an education system better designed to support children with ASN.

Unfortunately, this call was voted down by West Dunbartonshire Council opposition councillors.

I’m delighted that £600,000 from the Pride in Place Immediate Impact Fund has been awarded to community groups across West Dunbartonshire.

These groups include Dalmuir Barclay Church, Flourishing Faifley, Glenhead Centre, Melfort Community Gardens, Clydebank Men’s Shed, PALS, West Dunbartonshire Community Foodshare, and Whitecrook Community Action Group.

This is direct investment from the UK Labour Government into our local areas, and I’m excited to see the positive changes it will bring to communities across Clydebank.

Pride in Place is, at its heart, about investing in people, and this funding delivers on that promise.