The Leader of the SNP Opposition in West Dunbartonshire Council, Jonathan McColl, has been branded a ‘disgrace’ after he joined forces with health board officials to impose a raft of damaging cuts to health and social care services on people in West Dunbartonshire.

Local MSP Jackie Baillie accused Cllr McColl of carrying out the SNP Government’s dirty work at the Health and Social Care Partnership meeting on Wednesday when he approved £1 million of health board cuts to local services next year.

The Partnership board is comprised of 3 elected councillors in West Dunbartonshire and 3 officials from NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board. The two Labour councillors on the board moved a motion to reject the cuts and demand more funding from the Scottish Government. But the SNP’s Jonathan McColl teamed up with the unelected health board members to vote against Labour’s motion and accept the cuts.

This will mean cuts to local services that protect women from domestic abuse, charges for community alarms issued to pensioners in sheltered housing, an increase in the cost of Meals on Wheels and cuts to mental health services.

Jackie said:

“Cllr Jonathan McColl should hang his head in shame for putting his own party before people living in Dumbarton and the Vale of Leven. These cuts will target some of the most vulnerable people in our communities, form women and children at risk of domestic abuse to pensioners who live in sheltered housing and those with mental health problems. It is an absolute disgrace that the SNP has joined forces with the health board to impose these cuts on West Dunbartonshire.

“The Health Secretary promised that the Health and Social Care Partnerships would be fully-funded but instead West Dunbartonshire has been asked to find £3 million savings next year. The motion put forward by Labour councilors would have rejected the cuts and forced the Scottish Government to properly fund our local services.

“Instead of standing up for his own constituents, Cllr McColl is doing the SNP Health Secretary’s dirty work by slashing services in West Dunbartonshire