Last week our SNP council budget was agreed and will see millions of pounds of investment to tackle poverty, raise attainment, provide meals for children and young people during school holidays, address loneliness, provide more activities for our young people, deliver care services across West Dunbartonshire and so much more.

Alongside new investment we have budgeted to ensure that none of the services our residents and businesses rely on are cut back and no council employees will be made redundant.

Please take five minutes to visit our “West Dunbartonshire SNP Councillors” Facebook page or the council website for full details of our budget.

Achieving this in the current financial climate has not been easy. Discussions between the Scottish Government, myself, our finance spokesperson Ian Dickson, fellow SNP leaders and COSLA have been challenging, but everyone involved has acted in the best interests of our communities.

The open approach taken by the Scottish Government ensured they had a clear understanding of the situation facing councils and, by explaining the constraints of the Scottish budget and new cost pressures, they enabled us to work together to find the best solution for everyone.

Read more: OPINION Councillor Jonathan McColl: We've come a long way - but still lots to do

Labour and the Community Party insist I should have been more combative and relied on unelected officers running formal meetings with the Scottish Government. They say I should have “fought” the Scottish Government for West Dunbartonshire.

The fact is, I achieved the result we needed. My positive, honest, open, joint-working approach has been fully vindicated with the allocation of more than £1.5million extra to West Dunbartonshire, allowing us to implement a no-cuts budget.

I will continue to have discussions with the Scottish Government as colleagues working for the same ends, and I’ll do so in the most appropriate way to get the best outcome for our communities. Labour must get used to the reality that in 2017 people voted for change.

The public aren’t interested in political fighting and banner waving, they just want us to get on with our jobs and deliver the services they need, and that’s what the SNP council administration are doing.