It is a matter of fact that the extent of the budget cuts facing our council, thanks to the financial incompetence of the UK Labour Government, was first reported to the Council over six months ago!

Your readers should also be aware that the £45m figure for the projected budget shortfall facing West Lothian Council is based on the COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) recommendations that ALL Scottish councils should plan ahead on the basis of a 12 per cent reduction in budgets from 2011 to 2014.

Your readers should also know that the COSLA spokesperson for Resources and Capacity is none other than (yes, you have guessed it) Cllr Graeme Morrice.

Just how exactly you keep yourself in the dark is a question for Cllr Morrice to answer! Cllr Morrice's position is therefore absurd. He is clearly living in denial.

He is equally wrong with his assertion that the council is "pushing through" cuts.

Nothing is further from the truth.

We are determined to engage with our community over the coming months – on the basis of the facts as we know them – to discuss, openly and honestly the best possible way to absorb the Labour cuts in council funding and continue to deliver first class, effective and efficient public services and to establish how best our council can cope with this unprecedented reduction in funding.

I believe that it is better to be open and upfront with council staff and our community.

We cannot do all we are currently doing with £45m removed from our budget.

Labour's position is to do nothing and like the ostrich, stick our head in the sand and hope that the financial tsunami heading our way will pass us by.

This is playground politics at its worst but made all the sillier by their ridiculous assertion that it is this council which is to blame for the £45m in cuts being imposed upon us by the Labour Westminster Government!

Cllr Peter Johnston,
Leader of West Lothian Council