INVERCLYDE’s four independent councillors are keeping quiet about their spending and savings proposals until a crunch council budget meeting this week.

Ronnie Ahlfeld, Lynne Quinn, Tommy McVey and Drew McKenzie have drawn up their own plans but have decided to keep their counsel until all elected members gather on Thursday.

Councillor Ahlfeld, who represents the independents on the council’s cross-party members’ budget working group, said:

“We have decided, collectively, not to comment publicly on any aspect of potential savings submitted by officers for consideration.

“We have taken cognisance of the feedback from the public consultation and considered all options open to us.

“We believe that it is important to try to establish consensus and high on our priority list is to protect the most vulnerable in our society and to protect jobs.

“Our submissions to the group include representations to achieve these objectives.”