The Deputy First Minister has accused West Dunbartonshire Council of ‘deceiving people in the local area’.

Last week, councillor Martin Rooney, council leader, (pictured) claimed his figure of a funding cut of 22 per cent was correct after John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, wrote to a local resident explaining the budget had only been cut by seven per cent.

In reposnse, Cllr Rooney told the Reporter: “The council figures demonstrate there has been a 22 per cent real terms reduction in funding from the Scottish Government over five years.

“The reduction is a combination of issues which have the effect of reducing the spending power of the council.

“The executive director seems to have ruffled a lot of feathers by exposing the extent of the funding reduction to our area and that is why the SNP MSPs are claiming that the executive director’s calculations are false.” However, Mr Swinney, SNP MSP, defended this calculations. He said: “The claim that West Dunbartonshire council’s funding has been cut by 22 per cent in real terms is a distortion and I am very surprised that the council have put out this analysis.

“It does not compare like-with-like. This calculation ignores the almost £22 million of extra funding provided to the council by the Scottish government over the last six years.

“The council’s analysis removes the funding for the council tax freeze (£5.9 million), which accounts for 3.3 per cent of the claimed cut, and funding for other SG policy (council tax reduction scheme) and priority projects (total £15.9 million) which equates to a further 7.2 per cent of the claimed cut.

“On a like for like basis, adding all these funding streams back in, and adjusting for the transfer of police and fire, West Dumbarton council has received a cash increase in funding over the period 2010-16 of around two per cent.

“Once inflation is factored in this equates to a real terms reduction of seven per cent, well short of the 22 per cent claimed by and significantly less than the 10 per cent real terms cut imposed on the Scottish Budget by the UK government.

“As we have set out clearly Martin Rooney’s claim does not reflect the reality of the funding for West Dunbartonshire and does not compare like with like.

“West Dunbartonshire has received a cash increase and funding for priorities such as the council tax freeze which they have chosen to ignore.

“It is for local councillors to explain why they seem determined to talk down the Scottish Government’s support for West Dunbartonshire. The leadership of West Dunbartonshire Council should stop deceiving the people in the local area.” SNP leader in the area, councillor Jonathan McColl, added: “Mr Rooney has known for months, thanks to clarification from the Minister and his professional civil servant team, that the figures he is quoting are wrong, so to start using them in the press is a desperate and deliberate attempt by the council leader to mislead the public.” He added: “The claim that West Dunbartonshire council’s funding has been cut by 22 per cent in real terms is a distortion and I am very surprised that the council officers have bent to political pressure and put out this analysis.” When the Reporter put Swinney’s comments to Cllr Rooney, he said the council’s position ‘remains the same’. He added: “We have provided the detail behind the calculation and figure.

“It is no surprise that the cabinet secretary would want to make these claims as he is taking money out of the pockets of residents in West Dunbartonshire.

“Everybody knows West Dunbartonshire along with many other councils have had significant real terms reductions in their budget between 2010 and 2015.”