IT has been a very eventful time in Scottish politics after Humza Yousaf was replaced as First Minister following his mishandling of the relationship with government partners the Green Party.

While I never understood the decision the decision to elect him to the post and I believe it is time the voters got the opportunity to decide who should now become First Minister, we in West Dunbartonshire will suffer the consequences of the hapless year in office for Yousaf for years.

It is widely reported Yousaf decided to announce a council tax freeze at his party conference without taking advice from his civil service advisors or government partners.

While I appreciate this freeze may be welcome news for hard-pressed households, without the correct funding to councils, this has only added to the financial crisis in local government and West Dunbartonshire in particular.

Those who rely on the council's services for their daily life will pay a heavy price as their much-needed services are cut by SNP Government funding.

We are now seeing the effects of difficult decisions taken to balance the council's budget this year which was made worse with Yousaf’s unfunded Council Tax freeze.

Our budget was short of £17 million this year and we are facing further cuts in the years ahead and the money lost from this year's unfunded Council Tax freeze will be felt in each and every financial year going forward.

Government in Holyrood decisions are how they affect everyday life for Dumbarton residents.

I am pleased we will no longer have a First Minister announcing government policies on a whim, however, it’s time we all get a say on who his successor should have been.