A veteran Tayside councillor has said tribal political allegiances should be set aside to help ordinary Scots.
Ian Borthwick, who represents the Strathmartine ward in Dundee as an independent, was speaking after SNP councillors on Falkirk Council voted against a motion supporting Frank’s Law, which would provide free personal care to dementia sufferers under the age of 65.
The Labour group had lodged a motion asking the Scottish Government to back the campaign, which is named after former Dundee United star Frank Kopel.
However the SNP’s amendment instead asked councillors to note the Scottish Government’s efforts to mitigate the effects of “Tory austerity policies” and demanded the Trident nuclear missile system is scrapped.
The Trident clause was eventually removed after it was ridiculed in the council chamber and the motion was passed.
Amanda Kopel, widow of Frank, said she had been “appalled” at the way SNP members had voted.
Now one of Scotland’s longest-serving councillors has said party politics are preventing support being given to those who need it the most.
Ian Borthwick was also an advocacy officer for Age Concern Scotland for 30 years and said the charity was often contacted by people whose relatives had contracted dementia at a relatively early age.
He said: “During that time, we had a number of cases where individuals were in the situation where they were caring for someone suffering from dementia but because of their age they were not entitled to free personal care.
“Some developed Alzheimer’s at quite an early age so it meant quite a long period of hardship for their families.
“That is the reality of it. People would come to us for help but there was nothing we could do.
“Unfortunately, it seems some politicians care more about the source of an idea rather than the substance – because Labour put this motion forward the SNP said ‘we’re not supporting it’.
“Can we not rise above party politics and look at the situation?
“We have to do something positive to relieve the pressure on families. I think that is the responsible approach.”
