Proposals to close care homes in West Lothian have been described as ‘the final straw’ by local Labour councillors as they confirmed they would oppose the plans.
The decision comes two months after the minority Labour-led West Lothian council were confronted with proposals, a row which had divided councillors, union and party members.
Following a meeting earlier this week West Lothian Labour Party branded the latest budget cuts which the Integration Joint Board faces “ the final straw.”
The party said it backed local campaigns to protect care staff jobs and “valuable facilities.”
The party has also called on Holyrood to properly fund leisure facilities including swimming pools in the county.
Labour councillors, and especially the council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick have faced criticism from unions and former colleagues, including former MSP and councillor Neil Findlay, over the proposals to further privatise care of the elderly in care homes and at home.
The potential closure of at least two of the council owned care homes has also been raised.
In a statement the party said: “The Labour Party in West Lothian completely opposes the shutting of leisure facilities and the closure or privatisation of care homes in West Lothian.
“This proposed loss of valued public facilities is the final straw in the years and years of cuts imposed on Local Councils and the NHS by both central Governments. We support the local campaigns against these proposals and call on both governments to increase funding to these local bodies to keep our facilities open.
It added: “We request the assistance of the Scottish Labour Shadow Cabinet and our local Labour MSPs in lobbying the Scottish Government for additional funding to prevent these cuts.
“We call on the Council and the IJB to respect the views of these communities and to look for alternatives to these proposals and review their future investment strategies for Leisure and Care.”
There was an outcry at the last meeting of the full council in Livingston when it was ruled against standing orders to debate the subject.
The meeting of the full council heard deputation from the joint trades unions but the Governance Manager ruled out pleas for a motion raised by Independent member Stuart Borrowman and Lib Dem Sally Pattle because Councillor Fitzpatrick had raised a motion and a decision had been taken at a meeting of the council Executive the week before.
Standing Orders mean that a motion cannot be raised on a issue that has been decided upon in the last six months.
That motion to the Executive called for the scrapping of plans for a National Care Service.
It had also demanded the return of Covid funding to all IJBs and suggested that the money wasted on consultancy fees for setting up a national care service would be better spent caring for the growing elderly population in West Lothian.
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