This afternoon we debated the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2018. Under the SNP Government, the financial health of Scotland’s 32 local authorities has deteriorated rapidly. Local government debt levels are now at staggering levels and taxpayers are paying millions of pounds just to service this debt.
However the SNP may try to dress it up, or even hide the true picture, councils have been making cuts every year under Derek Mackay and John Swinney. Mr Mackay was once a promising young council leader who stood up for local government. Now he cuts a figure from a Dickens novel. First he is Mr Micawber – presenting a draft budget hoping “something will turn up” which it surely does in the shape of Patrick Harvie. But at the same time he is Mr Scrooge, swinging the axe on local government.
This year, the current crop of councillors were set up to expect a massive cut in their budget. So when that cut was not quite as bad as they first feared some of the more naïve among them were delighted.
We’ve even had the rookie SNP council leader John Ross drooling that it was the “most progressive budget for South Lanarkshire Council for many years” and praising a better than expected settlement.
Derek Mackay and his outrider Mr Harvie may be able to fool the likes of Cllr Ross but his council has still had to make £15million of cuts and is losing more than 100 full time equivalent members of staff.
On top of that, hard-pressed council tax payers in South Lanarkshire can now look forward to a 3% increase in what they give the council to manage pot-holes. As a resident of South Lanarkshire I can hardly wait.
Today the Scottish Conservatives voted for the order because councils need the money. But as Alexander Stewart said during the debate our support should not be seen as acceptance that it is a fair settlement. It isn’t.