Last week I attended a council meeting that saw the SNP council leader and senior councillors demonstrate they are completely out of touch with reality on how their policies are treating the hard pressed council tax payer of West Dunbartonshire.

The Labour councillors raised real concerns on behalf of local constituents only for the SNP Councillors to rubbish their concerns and tell them everything is working well.

Can anyone in Dumbarton and the Vale honestly state that they have not been concerned and disturbed at the road closures and emergency repairs in recent months.

The whole of Dumbarton has been affected with closures to Glasgow Road, Townend Road, Bonhill Road and Cardross Road. Not to add the recent closures of the Renton Road and road at the Lions Gate roundabout.

Everyone is aware there are necessary and urgent repairs required, however I simply asked for a review of road closures and whether we can investigate if we can learn lessons to assist with future road closes and minimise disruption to residents.

We know residents with mobility problems have suffered a suspension of local bus services, businesses have seen severe reduction in footfall, and traffic jams had become a daily occurrence. Sadly, the SNP councillors rejected this helpful request for a review. They stuck their head in the sand and informed the council is working well on road closures and a full review reporting to a future council is not required.

Adding to that, they are happy to ignore the concerns you have on charges to elderly residents for day care and community alarms.

Alongside this, increased charges to local community sports groups who provide an excellent service of health and fitness for children and teenagers. They even had the cheek to ignore your concerns at the unsightly areas of grass going uncut, and to state they have consulted community groups and they are supporting the reduction in service. Councillor Iain McLaren denied community groups had raised concerns despite a local community council raising this directly with him at their June meeting.

It really is a parallel universe the SNP councillors are living in. If only they would have the courage to stand up to their political masters in Holyrood and fight for the funding required for this area and local government and health service.

West Dunbartonshire is being badly let down by the SNP who simply praise their own government at every opportunity and never treat your concerns as a priority.

It’s time the SNP government provided West Dunbartonshire with adequate funding that we desperately need. Further years of the SNP cutting council funding by more than the Tories in Westminster cutting their budget must end.