Region will be almost £7m worse off, says council leader

Martin Rooney fired the first broadside to his political opponents ahead of Wednesday’s full council meeting – by claiming schools and elderly care will be the things to suffer.

Among the many items up for debate, councillors will also be asked to agree a budget deal for the region – and a three per cent hike in council tax.

But Councillor Rooney blamed the SNP government for its budget allocation and claimed the local Labour administration will have to dip into financial reserves to balance the books.

A report to go before councillors says that the local authority’s net budget position is £211.343m.

However, it also states WDC will have to make savings over the next two years in order to avoid avoid a deficit of £5.914m (2018-19) and £9.426m (2019-20).

Cllr Rooney said: “West Dunbartonshire’s budget has been slashed year on year by the SNP government in Edinburgh.

“The only difference this year is that they have been helped by the Greens. This backroom deal does nothing to stop the cuts being imposed on West Dunbartonshire.

“It means we will receive less money to spend on vital services like schools, care for the elderly and fewer resources to invest in our local economy.”

And Councillor Rooney vowed that his party won’t play ball with the powers that be at Holyrood.

He said: “Labour councillors will present a budget next week which refuses to implement the SNP’s austerity cuts and protects the public services we all rely on in West Dunbartonshire.”

Dumbarton and the Vale’s MSP Jackie Baillie echoed the council leader’s comments, saying: “The SNP-Green backroom budget deal cuts £6.8 million from funding for schools and care for the elderly.

“SNP ministers and their Green sidekicks trying to claim that is ‘just about good enough’ is absolutely farcical.

“The reality is that services across Scotland will have been hit by £1.5 billion of cuts since 2011.

“It’s an austerity budget that will continue to divide Scotland between the richest and the rest.”

Finance Secretary Derek Mackay defended his budget for Scottish local authorities and said: “At a time of significant challenge in our economy, this is a budget that will support jobs and lay the foundations for future growth.

“The budget provides a strong settlement for local government, including additional funding for educational attainment, increased capital resources and increased revenues from council tax.”

“It provides real-terms protection for frontline policing, a real terms increase in total funding to the health service and increases to frontline NHS budgets for investment in primary care, community care, social care and mental health.”

The council’s SNP group leader Councillor Jonathan McColl said his party would not be in a position to confirm their proposals in advance of the meeting.

He added: “I’m still waiting for detailed information from council officers about the potential impact on jobs and services of the cuts that Labour confirmed they would be taking at the December council meeting.”

Community Party spokesman Jim Bollan said: “At the council meeting we will hear the same old arguments from both parties – our cuts are better than yours.”