Still no apology from leader

Dear editor What an interesting article by our new SNP council leader John Ross (Reformer, 20/09/2017).

In it he states: “We will use social media and other channels of communication to keep members of the public better informed.”

He adds: “We are reviewing the code of conduct for councillors and staff, to ensure both meet the values that you would expect from your council.” Let’s hope he starts with himself. There has still not been any public apology to the people of South Lanarkshire for his own lapse of judgement, not to mention spelling and grammar, and his poor conduct over the summer when he used his own Twitter page to tell the Labour MSP Jackie Baillie “awa’ and bile yer heid wuman, ye talk pure mince!”

Time to get his own house in order first I would think. Dorothy Connor Rutherglen

Help us help those who need it most I am writing to you on behalf of Help for the Homeless, a small group of friends who have come together to help feed and clothe the homeless.

We started up in January 2015, we did a bit of research to find out where would be the best place to help people on the streets. We have based ourselves on Cadogan Street in Glasgow where every Thursday evening from 8pm to 11pm we run a soup kitchen, where we give out hot food and hot drinks.

We also give out clothes and toiletries most of which we get through donations which we collect or people drop into the Artizan centre in Dumbarton.

Our Facebook page (www.facebook. com/pages/Help-for-the-homelessNon-profit-independent-group) has been an invaluable tool in reaching out to more people.

When we started this endeavour we fed approximately 40 to 50 homeless people a week. Now our numbers are up to around 150-180 a week.

Due to this increasing number of people finding their way to us, we are struggling to meet the escalating cost of food to cover these numbers as we pay for all the food ourselves .

We are seeking any funding or donations which would help us continue to provide this service as so many now rely on us to provide food, clothes and a friendly face ready to listen to them.

We are holding a charity night in Eastfield Community Centre on Saturday, February 27 and are looking for some great raffle prizes.

Please consider us for any funding or help you could provide. Kirsty Steele Atholl Gardens Rutherglen

Voters deserve to know details of Kill en trip I have to say I was extremely disappointed to read that Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP Gerard Killen failed to attend a vital vote on the EU due to a family engagement.

While no-one would pretend politicians do not deserve time off like the rest of us, being an MP comes with a responsibility to represent their constituents to the best of their ability.

In his statement, Mr Killen says family members would have been “adversely affected”.

This is a strong statement. It would be beneficial to voters to know the exact details of Mr Killen’s trip and what was so important it took precedence over actually representing his constituents.

Only then can we make up our minds on whether disenfranchising the voters was worth it.

I hope Mr Killen learns from this. Being an MP is a privilege and this is a rather poor start.

I voted for Mr Killen in June but I have to say I was extremely disappointed to read this. Anne McLaughlin Rutherglen

Elected councillors have little power to help We should not elect local councillors .

They are willing to be elected and take the salary that comes with the position, however they are then unwilling to respond to their constituents, incapable of following good manners in respect of communication, unable to make any decisions as they will revert all issues to the relevant department, and untouchable, as even when you take a complaint forward with the Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Public Life in Scotland, nothing is done.

Once elected a councillor, you can do nothing and never respond to a single email, and nothing will be done. What a job.

Today, communication is more open than ever before and individuals can quickly and easily get to the key departments involved in any aspect of an issue.

This is exactly what the councillors will do, so what’s the point?

They have no independent decision making power, and I suggest little to no influence

Let’s save £16,000 per annum per councillor, and sack the lot. James Aitken Richmond Drive Rutherglen

Council claim is insulting For Daniel Lowe, executive director of housing and technical resources, to say there is “no evidence of which they could act on” in the case of Woodend Road (Reformer 20/09/2017) is complete nonsense and grossly insulting.

Not only have neighbours reported each and every incident to housing and other departments as they happened, the council’s out of hours wardens have lifted this drunken man into the house in the early hours on more than one occasion and have witnessed the mess he made in the close.

I have called the out of hours repairs people when he thought he had a gas leak, the police have been called and the fire service. All of this is on record at the council. Environmental health noted and photographed the rubbish dump he created.

The gas leak turned out to be the filthy smell from his kitchen and bathroom.

At one point I reported a serious incident every day for three weeks and at a time when I was very ill myself.

The council has also sent out an emergency joiner when this man lost his keys and a cleaner to clean the close as I was unwilling to do it again, all of this was billed to this man and this is also on record.

As for corroboration, if I say it happened, is he doubting my honesty? Two other neighbours have also spoken in person with council staff on many occasions.

This man has broken all the terms of his tenancy and the council has broken its tenancy agreement with the other residents.

They need to think again and this response is unacceptable and insulting.

I suggest the council look up their own records where they will find plenty of evidence.

Name and address supplied