STOP PRESS: Renton Craigandro FC have promised to supply a tree for Renton this Christmas.
The little village that Santa Claus (and West Dunbartonshire Council) forgot
Renton, Christmas decorations, Jonathan McColl and Drew MacEoghainn.
Villagers in Renton expressed dismay today that they have once again been “kicked in the teeth” by West Dunbartonshire Council.
Despite the fact that he has the girth and the beard for it, SNP council leader Jonathan McColl has shown he is no Santa Claus.
And that budget cuts announced in April mean there will be no provision for a Christmas tree in the village this year.
In order to save a measly £10,000, the Scrooge-like SNP have decided there will only be trees in Dumbarton, Alexandria and Clydebank.
And that places such as Renton will have to put a stocking at the end of the bed to raise the money for one of their own.
This is despite the fact that Renton has regularly had its own Christmas tree.
The brightly lit tree was situated beside the Carman Centre and “planted” in a concrete block paid for by the community themselves.
The Renton Community Development Trust paid for the tree in the first two years.
Community Party activist Drew MacEoghainn – he is a supporter of Scottish independence – said: “We got a cherry picker and myself and Duncan Thomson decorated it.
“The Carman centre and Cordale housing paid for the lights, supplied electricity and arranged the full switch on.”
He added: “The council provided the tree from 2009. It will cost us roughly £2000 to buy the tree lights and get it erected.
“Up until 2013, I was on top of a cherry picker putting lights up that the Carman Centre bought and funded electricity for.
“The council used to come along drop in a tree then leave, that was the situation between 2007-2013. Each year we paid for all the lights and cherry picker ourselves!”
Drew added: “Normally you would have your councillors fighting for you but with [Caroline] McAllister and [Ian] Dickson not saying a word apart from ‘motion’ when they butchered St Martin’s Primary School, it will be down to [Councillors] John Miller and, of course, Jim Bollan, pictured left, to fight for Renton.
“They [the SNP] traipsed about here begging for this village to vote for them promising a new, transparent council, but all they have delivered are Tory cuts – and blamed Westminster for them!
“To be clear, this a choice. They don’t need to attack our community.
“Nicola Sturgeon told us all that, but we’re back to the bad old days when Renton was punished for voting for Jim Bollan.
“The only difference is that this mob disguises their political inadequacies behind a saltire.
“Renton has a very long memory these councillors who have betrayed us will not be forgotten or forgiven when they next beg for our votes.”
Renton has been targeted for cuts over many years. The village lost its public library and then its community hall, which was later restored by the community themselves who now operate it.
Tontine Park was also targeted for cutbacks and the pavilion provision there could have been closed had it not been for the hard work of Renton Craigandro football club, which is run by a dedicated team of volunteers and has hundreds of young people on its books.
Craigandro have taken over a lease for Tontine and even do the grass cutting themselves there.
- And tonight the football club issued the following stattement: “With SNP deciding to save money and have said they will not be putting a Christmas tree up in the village this year, the committee at Renton craigandro have decided that we will provide one for the lovely people of Renton this year. More details to follow.
Regards, Brian, Chairman.
If SNP had their way they would wipe our village off the map shame on the lot of them peoples party my backside need to bring them down.