Fight West Dunbartonshire Council Cuts

Lynda McEwan West Dunbartonshire

Labour ran, West Dunbartonshire Council will set their annual budget for 2025/26 on March 5th but already they are proposing 59 separate cuts to services in order to fill a £4 million budget black hole.

The Labour administration has already had to back down from attacking the council workforces terms and conditions including holidays and threatening fire and rehire. 

Some of the areas mooted to be cut are swimming lessons, school music instructors, school clothing grants, elderly welfare grants, school crossing patrols, street cleaning and lighting and closure to golf courses and bowling clubs.

Labour and the SNP have consistently made cuts to services whenever they are elected despite producing manifestos that promise not to. Trade Unions have warned that services have already been cut to the bone and that if these cuts go ahead they will have a seriously detrimental impact on the community. Labour leader Martin Rooney insists that these cuts are necessary, while Labour councillor David McBride has written in the local newspaper blaming Scottish Government mismanagement, claiming that even raising the council tax would not be enough to stop the axe from falling.

Let us be quite clear here, austerity is a political choice. There is plenty of money in society, it is just in the wrong hands. Councils could set legal no cuts budgets using all the financial mechanisms at their disposal, including borrowing powers, reserves and debt recapitalisation. We know this approach works as it was taken in the 1980’s by the socialist Liverpool council who won millions back from Thatcher’s Tory government, investing in jobs, homes and leisure facilities for the city.

Lomond and Clyde Care & Repair, a service who provide vital advice and assistance to disabled and elderly residents to get repairs, improvements and adaptations to their homes, have appealed to the people of West Dunbartonshire to get behind them to fight the reduction in funding they have been warned will be made in the budget. Last year they had a £40,000 reduction which meant they had to increase prices but fear this year’s round of cuts could signal an end to the service altogether. 

Clydebank Women’s Aid are facing closure due to the cuts. They have been providing specialist accommodation and support to women and children in the area for 44 years. Previously Labour Councillor Michelle McGinty identified the extent of the problem of gender based violence and in 2022 the council promised to fund Woman’s Aid groups £167,000 for five years annually. West Dunbartonshire has the second highest rate of domestic violence in the country. Last year 1,607 women and children accessed their services. If funding is cut, staff say there will be fatal consequences. This is a real dereliction of duty from Labour to protect working class women. 

West Dunbartonshire is an area of entrenched deprivation with over 25% of children living below the poverty line. Alcohol and drug addiction is high and crime is on the increase. A Scottish government report named it as the 4th most dangerous area in Scotland in 2024. Slashing charity funding and cutting services will only worsen life for working class families, already struggling with a prolonged cost of living crisis. Food prices, energy bills and fuel costs remain at an all time high.

The trade unions and the local community need to unite in a mass campaign to oppose all cuts. The building of a new workers party to stand in local and national elections and lead struggle  is desperately required armed with socialist polices of no cuts budgets, the building of high quality council homes, investment in jobs and all of the essential services that people need to live fulfilled and dignified lives. The Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition is calling on the trade unions to call a conference to prepare to support socialist candidates in Holyrood for 2026 against the parties of cuts and far right, Reform. 

Socialist Party Scotland oppose all cuts and stand in solidarity with workers, disabled and the elderly. If you agree you should join us in the fight against austerity.