TALKING POLITICS We believe in the redistribution of power and wealth

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard

The SNP budget passed in the Scottish Parliament last month matters to people here in Monklands – and right across Scotland.

It matters to councillors who have to deal with the fall-out of cuts to their budgets; it matters to public sector staff who haven’t had a decent pay rise for years due to government funding cuts; and it matters to our local communities.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which North Lanarkshire is part of, estimated that the Scottish Government budget for 2018-19 needed to include another £545 million, for each local authority to just stand still with its service levels. Any less and there would be cuts.

After that initial figure was highlighted, some money was put back in, by an SNP agreement with the Green Party.

But that still means that every local authority has been faced with the reality of a reduced budget, and further cuts.

This was not “extra money” for North Lanarkshire Council, nor for any other council in Scotland.

There is still a shortfall in local government funding across Scotland of £386 million. More jobs will be lost, adding to the 30,000 already gone in local government, according to UNISON Scotland.

I welcomed the initiatives announced by the council to mitigate the worst impact of continuing austerity in our area, including expanding school meals, breakfast clubs, increasing the School Clothing Grants and supporting community projects.

However, vacancies will go unfilled, 89 full-time equivalent posts will disappear, those in work will find their day is even busier and waiting times for services will increase.

The council itself, in setting its budget, states that the funding provided by the Scottish Government is inadequate.

Furthermore, the SNP’s promise to lift the public sector pay cap has raised the hopes of many low-paid local authority workers.

But the promise only applies to those workers directly employed by the Scottish Government.

Nor does it take account of the effect of a 10 year pay freeze, with families seeing a reduction in household income each year.

Councils will have to choose between meeting wage claims or further reducing services.

Of course, things could be very different if this SNP Government fully used the powers of the Scottish Parliament, including taxation powers.

Labour’s sensible, achievable alternative budget plan was based on progressive taxation and would have begun to reverse the years of council budget cuts and begin to eradicate poverty and inequality.

As socialists we believe in the redistribution of power and wealth to eradicate the obscene reality of poverty in a rich country.

Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard has focused as a priority on “poverty proofing” all of our policies.

It is in the power of the SNP Government to stop local cuts, to increase resources and fully fund pay settlements that reflect the value of the work our council workers do.

We could do things differently in Scotland with the extensive powers of our parliament; be radical instead of tinkering at the edges and give our councils the funds they need to invest in our people, services and communities.

We could be radical instead of tinkering at the edges

Poverty proofing