SNP Councillors David Turner and David McDonald today attacked council leader Gordon Matheson over his duplicity and political opportunism on the proposed closure of Lightburn Hospital in Glasgow's East End.

Council Matheson originally supported the closure of the Lightburn and, in fact, voted for it at a meeting of the Council's Executive Committee in November 2010. Yet during the summer Council Leader Matheson was pictured in a local newspaper, alongside campaigners who were fighting to save the hospital from closure, signing a petition to save the hospital.

Councillor David Turner said: "I can expose Cllr Matheson as having misled the public. A response to a Freedom of Information request I submitted - which was originally refused by the administration - shows that at no time did Cllr Matheson, or anyone in his office, contact any of the transport providers in Glasgow to ask about improved public transport links from the east end to Stobhill.

On the closure of Lightburn hospital it is clear that Gordon Matheson has misled the public for political gain over this matter."

Councillor Matheson had stated over the summer that his concerns over public transport links between the east end and Stobhill made him change his mind. This change of mind went against the decision of his administration in supporting closure.

Cllr David McDonald said: "It is clear the Administration did not want the people of the east end to know the truth over their duplicity on Lightburn, having tried to block Cllr Turner’s Freedom of Information request.

"Councillor Matheson must now explain why he failed to contact transport providers over transport links from the east end to Stobhill.

"The truth is labour have tried to use the people of the east end. This is the worst kind of political opportunism and one they will no doubt pay for at the polls next May."

Notes:

The ReGEN article can be found at: http://www.issuu.com/re-gen-newspaper/docs/issue602.

The Council Executive Committee paper and minutes of the decision can be found here: http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/councillorsandcommittees/submissiondocuments.asp?submissionid=47247