Fife : Row Rages On Over ‘Blame’ For Home Care Cuts

A heated verbal jousting match has erupted following the decision to increase home care service charges.

Labour councillors have been accused of “bare-faced hysteria” and leaving behind “a financial midden” after opposition Councillor Pat Callaghan spoke out against the moves.

In a stinging counter-attack, SNP Councillor David Alexander said he should consider his position adding the “larger than anyone would want” increases were a direct result of “the financial midden, totally inadequate budget and craven failure of the former Administration to take difficult decisions.”

Cllr Alexander went on to accuse opposition councillors of “bare-faced hysteria, mouthing off and under-mining the good work of hundreds of dedicated Council staff for purely political reasons”.

He also said they were creating fear and added money will now have to be spent reassuring Fifers the comments are “way off the mark”.

“The bluster and headline grabbing hysteria from Pat Callaghan, who seems to have an incredibly short memory of his time in that discredited previous Labour administration, has created fear and concern amongst Fife’s vulnerable home care service users.

“He did not even have the courage to say the stuff reported in the local press during the meeting. He knew his comments would be contradicted as nonsense from those who know the subject. Instead he approached the press after the meeting and spouted without contradiction.

”Maybe that ensured he got the “political” headlines he craved. But it has also created untold damage.”

Cllr Alexander reiterated under the new plans everyone who needs a service will receive one, the commitment to provide a service for the most vulnerable will continue and safeguards are in place to ensure people on lower incomes are protected.

“Cllr Callaghan’s desire to undermine this new Administration has crossed the line. He has caused concern and fear among the very people he pretends to care about. He has manipulated headlines by bludgeoning the truth with scare stories and blatant untruths. He really should consider his position.

Responding to the no-holds barred attack, Cllr Callaghan said it was time to stick to the facts.