Standing up for the community
The postal votes for the local government elections will go out in the next couple of days, and the first set of voters will choose who they want to represent them, their families and their community in Renfrewshire Council.
The SNP has put forward a gender-balanced field of excellent candidates who will be fantastic local councillors who will stand up for their communities.
Renfrewshire Council has been controlled by the Labour Party for the past five years, and I think most people will agree that they have failed to effectively deliver the services which are important to local people.
This is the same administration who squandered £300,000 of taxpayer’s money through their effective closure of the various amenity sites, only performing a U-turn on the issue once they realised the depth of anger amongst local people. This Labour administration also shamefully spent over £100,000 on refurbishing council offices at the expense of delivering vital public services. Through their years of mismanagement and cuts to environmental services, Renfrewshire is now one of the dirtiest areas in Scotland.
With this record of failure, it’s no surprise that the current Labour leader of Renfrewshire Council and his deputy leader have chosen not to seek reelection.
In contrast, the SNP have published our manifesto which outlines a positive and ambitious vision for Renfrewshire. We will look to work with our partners and communities to deliver the vital local services that matter to you. Our ambitious and positive plan for Renfrewshire will protect public services and empower our local communities.
A SNP administration will manage the council’s resources effectively and within budget whilst recognising that although the council’s budget will be tight, so too will household budgets.
A proposed SNP policy that I am passionate about is that, if elected, we will review the council’s policies on school bullying, bringing together pupils, parents and teachers to ensure that we have the most effective approach possible towards eliminating bullying.
Together, at a national and local level, we need to be working hard to create local jobs, protect household budgets and continue to make Renfrewshire and Scotland a fairer place to live and work.
My message to those planning on voting in the next couple of days is simple.
The SNP will always stand up for the communities that we serve, and we will protect and defend the vital local services that we all depend on.
We have a positive and ambitious plan to move Renfrewshire forward and by working together we can ensure that the council starts to work and deliver for local people.