THE council budget situation is another example of the SNP treating people like fools.

In September when the First Minister announced a tax freeze, he did so without knowing how he would pay for it.

He then slashed Inverclyde's budget and tried to bribe councillors in order for them to get some of their money back. It's a slap in the face to the people of Inverclyde.

The SNP put forward a budget that has a £3.2 million black hole next year. That means next year we either face a massive increase in council tax or significant cuts to council services and jobs.

The Labour budget that also won the support of independent councillors means that people across Inverclyde pay, on average, £1.99 a week extra, but in exchange we protect jobs and do not need to go through with massive cuts.

The Labour Party budget meant that service cuts could be rejected for the next two years, while the SNP budget would see the axe swinging over these services a year from now: entirety of the public CCTV system turned off; school transport cut for hundreds of pupils; removal of breakfast clubs; closing Central Library; removal of free swimming for under-16s; removing the playscheme subsidy; ending the community warden service; closing the bunny park in Gourock; reducing the number of grave diggers, making people wait even longer to bury loved ones; reducing our street cleaning budget.

While the Scottish Government have continued to play political games with local government, the proposal put forward by Labour was responsible and fully funded.

It's the least we can expect from our politicians, and it's shameful that the SNP are trying to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Irene Obrien

Port Glasgow