Protect the vulnerable

Helen Wright campaigning with me, and others in the West End

My colleague Helen Wright has made an impassioned plea for support for the poor and vulnerable as we head towards setting the council's budget next week.  You can read Helen's statement here and also see some of the areas where money will be cut.  I think that it is important that councillors act as a voice for the voiceless in our society.  I share Helen Wright's concerns about cuts to social work and vulnerable people funding.  The council has been spending £600,000 on dealing with ash from the DERL waste to energy plant at Baldovie, despite the fact that DERL hasn't been operational since May 2012.  This money could be put to a better use,  I hope that services to the poor and vulnerable can rise, phoenix -like, out of the ashes of DERL.

Tonight's Evening Telegraph carries an editorial entitled 'Protect the vulnerable.'  I was particularly taken with the final two paragraphs of the piece which said; 'Those with special needs, the poorest, the homeless, those with physical and mental disabilities and older people will all need our support more than ever.'

'Council bosses must do all they can to ensure this suffering is not catastrophic - and perhaps look at other, less vital ways, that money can be saved.'

There is no doubt that these are difficult times for local government and that next week we will be faced with some very difficult decisions.  I do think that we should reflect on the editorial from the Evening Telegraph and make sure that council decisions do not hurt the poor and the vulnerable disproportionately.