Local Authorities Guide: West Dunbartonshire

The following is a Q&A with Labour Martin Rooney, leader of West Dunbartonshire Council.

The Public Sector Reform strategy is a key mission of the Scottish Government, what does that mean for you and your council? 

Year-on-year underfunding by the Scottish Government has been the biggest driver of change in local government and we have streamlined operations and reduced overheads. If the Scottish Government is serious about this then they need to ensure that local government has sustainable funding to support the strategy. 

Are there particular innovative or collaborative ways of working that you can point to in your own council as examples of how you can do more with less?

We continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of our residents and our communities. We have used every option possible to support and resource frontline services and to support communities to deliver more local services. Examples include transferring buildings to community groups, sharing services with other councils, and reviewing eligibility criteria to target limited resources at those most in need and to ensure equity.

AI is held up as a potential game changer in terms of public service delivery but on the ground, what contribution is digital technology making to your own approach? 
It’s too early days to say that AI will be a game changer as most of our workforce carry out day to day tasks that do not require any information and communications technology. There is a potential for improved efficiency and time savings for managers, office-based staff, teachers and so on, but there is always an element of resistance to changes. 

What counts as a good day in the office? 
I’m very task orientated which means I plan and prioritise my work, I delegate work to colleagues where appropriate, and I have developed ways of working which make best use of my time. 

What keeps you awake at night? 

West Dunbartonshire has a lot of challenges such as high levels of drug deaths, rising level of need, an ageing population, high level of poverty, deprivation, homelessness, and domestic abuse. A lot of these social issues are outside our sphere of control as they are structural. We have limited resources and limited levels of influence to change the structural issues as its fundamentally linked to government reorganisation which brought two relatively less well-off areas together Clydebank District and Dumbarton District and hived off some of the better off areas.

How do you describe what you do as council leader to a stranger? 

As council leader of a minority administration, I help set the political direction of the council, including reviewing and approving policy and budgets for the council. I work in partnership with our chief executive, together we have  a shared understanding of our strategic, political and operational priorities of the council and we apply ourselves diligently towards those priorities.  

This article appears in Holyrood's Local Authorities Guide 2026.