The SNP-Green Government will be urged to reverse their plans to “hammer” council budgets with a near £400 million funding cut, in a Scottish Conservative debate this week.
The party will use one of their business slots in Parliament on Wednesday to highlight the coalitions current plans to hit local authorities with a £371 million real-terms funding cut to their budget.
Shadow Local Government Secretary Miles Briggs says SNP-Green Ministers must use the record funding at their disposal from the UK Government, to protect vital jobs and local services in communities across Scotland.
The Scottish Conservatives will also highlight their own plans to bring forward a bill to enshrine a fair funding deal for councils in law after years of savage SNP cuts being passed down to councils. That would ensure that councils would automatically receive a set percentage of the Scottish budget each year.
Scottish Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Local Government Miles Briggs MSP, said:
“Year after year we have seen savage cuts to council budgets from the SNP. That has had a devastating impact on local services and communities and cannot continue.
“Yet the SNP-Green coalition are proposing to hammer Scotland’s 32 local authorities with another near £400 million cut to their budget. As we recover from the pandemic, it is shameful that the coalition are not planning to use the record funding at their disposal from the UK Government to support crucial day-to-day services.
“Ministers are continuing to pass the buck and their funding cuts onto councils. Enough is enough, which is why we are bringing forward this debate to Parliament this week.
“We are only a few months away from crucial local elections and there will be a clear choice for voters.
“More cuts to local services under the SNP-Green coalition or a real alternative with the Scottish Conservatives to enshrine in law a fair funding deal in law for our councils.”Scottish Conservatives to call for reversal of council funding cut
Notes: The COSLA letter highlighting the £371 million real-terms funding cut to the First Minister is here: https://www.cosla.gov.uk/news/2021/cosla-takes-case-for-a-better-settlement-to-the-first-minister
