KINGLASSIE councillor Julie Ford has claimed she was blocked by Depute Leader of the Scottish Labour Party, Alex Rowley while trying to Tweet a response during a debate at the Scottish Parliament.

During the Stage 3 Budget debate in Holyrood in February, the Scottish Labour Leader, Kezia Dugdale, announced in the Scottish Parliament chamber that libraries were having to close in Fife as a result of this year’s budget passed by MSPs.

However, Ms Ford, SNP Councillor for Kinglassie, took to Twitter to correct Kezia Dugdale and highlighted that the sixteen libraries that have just been closed by the current Fife Council administration were as a result of Scottish Labour’s Depute Leader, Alex Rowley’s 2013 Fife Council budget, when he was council leader.

Cllr Ford tweeted Fife Labour, Kezia Dugdale and Alex Rowley saying: “@FifeLabour I think u should advise ur leader @kdugdalemsp that cuts 2 libraries are a result of @Alex_RowletMSP’s 2013 budget. #Budget2016”

Following from this tweet, it was then brought to Cllr Ford’s attention that Alex Rowley had blocked her on Twitter.

Cllr Ford said: “Kezia Dugdale’s remark in the Parliament chamber was either a result of sheer ignorance to local issues or she used it as a cheap opportunity to score political points.

"The local people of Fife, who have fought extremely hard to save their libraries, deserve to know the real reasons for the closures, which is why I did not hesitate to inform Kezia and Alex Rowley that it was a Fife Labour budget that has resulted in these closures.”

Cllr Ford added: “In 2013, when this budget was passed, Alex Rowley said, publicly, that the reduction to Fife Cultural Trust's management fee would not result in closures of any of our libraries.

"Obviously this has either slipped Mr Rowley’s mind or he simply does not like hearing the truth, so instead blocked me on Twitter in a hope that I shut up and go away.”