To cry poverty over flowers is insult to heroes by councils

'Is a war memorial really the place to make budgetary cuts?'

- Ross Clark

THE 58 names on the war memorial in the town of Cockenzie on the Firth of Forth, east of Edinburgh are, like those in any other town, village or city in Britain, a litany of lives cut short. Archibald Baillil; Alexander, James and John Flockhart; David Wardrop. You wonder what would have become of them had they lived.

But the men honoured there – 33 who died in the First World War and 25 in the Second World War – were at least awarded a fine memorial. The stone cross bearing their names rises above the centre of memorial gardens set in the town’s heart. Its prominent position rightly makes it difficult for anyone to forget their sacrifice.

But something has gone missing in recent months. The flowers that surrounded the monument and injected a dash of colour around its dour stone have vanished.

It isn’t vandalism – at least, not in its official sense. The Labour-led East Lothian Council has grassed over the flowerbeds in an attempt to save money, complaining it can only employ three gardeners to look after 160 flowerbeds in the district. One councillor blames the SNP-controlled Scottish government for a tight-fisted financial settlement with local authorities this year.