I WAS very disappointed by last week’s news confirming the long-term closure of the Loch Centre’s swimming pool in Tranent. This is due to East Lothian Council’s inability to pay £4.4 million for essential repair work.

When we’re looking at who should be held responsible for this, both the SNP and Labour in East Lothian have questions to answer.

The Labour Party have been in administration in East Lothian for over 11 years. They have failed to deliver essential service improvements, make difficult long-term decisions or secure a fair share of funding.

The lacklustre Labour administration have continued to make unpopular and uncosted decisions, demonstrating a lack of leadership and financial acumen.

East Lothian Courier: The Loch Centre, TranentThe Loch Centre, Tranent

The same can be said of the SNP Government, who have imposed thousands of new homes on East Lothian without a corresponding rise in funding.

The person now responsible for this imbalance is East Lothian’s SNP MSP Paul McLennan, who is Scotland’s Housing Minister.

This year, for example, East Lothian received Scotland’s third lowest local government funding grant per head, despite East Lothian being Scotland’s second-fastest-growing area with above average council tax contribution per head of population.

Neither the SNP nor Labour are up to the job of delivering for local people.

When it comes to setting national policy and providing the funding to drive local investment in our councils and public services, the SNP have shown repeatedly that they are distracted by the wrong priorities. And when it comes to local services, Labour-led East Lothian Council is ignoring the people’s views on issues ranging from the future of our sports facilities to the imposition of parking charges.

Local residents deserve better than this.