Call for end to austerity as amount spent per head on vital services dives

DWINDLING CASH

Aberdeen City........... 111 Aberdeenshire ......... 94 Angus ......................... 102 Argyll and Bute ........ 226 Clackmannanshire... 79 Dumfries & Galloway125 Dundee City .............. 72 E Ayrshire .................. 78 E Dunbartonshire .... 104 E Lothian .................... 129 E Renfrewshire ......... 133 City of Edinburgh ..... 216 Eilean Siar .................. 458 Falkirk .......................... 116 Fife ............................... 98 City of Glasgow......... 210 Highland ..................... 161 Inverclyde................... 102 Midlothian .................. 122 Moray .......................... 93 N Ayrshire .................. 23 N Lanarkshire............ 134 Orkney......................... +12 Perth and Kinross .... 128 Renfrewshire ............. 109 Scottish Borders ...... 116 Shetland ..................... 341 S Ayrshire................... 82 S Lanarkshire ............ 134 Stirling......................... 148 W Dunbartonshire.... 105 W Lothian ................... 67 THE extent of cuts to local services is today laid bare by research showing councils are spending an average of £137 less per head of population than five years ago.

In Glasgow and Edinburgh, the figure is more than £200 a head.

Critics claimed the cuts were the legacy of the SNP’s council tax freeze that lasted nine years.

Scottish Labour’s finance spokesman James Kelly MSP said: “These figures show the price of SNP austerity for individuals across Scotland.

“The SNP have slashed funding for lifeline services in recent years and that translates as more than BY DAVID CLEGG Political Editor £200 a head since 2013-14 for people in Edinburgh and Glasgow. It is simply shocking.”

The analysis, commissioned by Labour, shows spending per head on residents is down £148 in Stirling, £133 in East Renfrewshire, £129 in East Lothian and £111 in Aberdeen.

Spending on residents is down £134 in South Lanarkshire, £105 in West Dunbartonshire and £72 in Dundee.

Local authorities have put council tax up this month but warned that will not raise enough money to pay for staff pay rises or make up for a squeeze on budgets. Councils are expected to shed hundreds of jobs, including teachers. Bin collections and arts funding are also expected to be hit.

And there could be increases in rents, school dinners, parking and garden waste disposal fees.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “In 2018-19, councils will receive funding through the local government finance settlement of £10.7billion, delivering a real-terms increase in both revenue and capital funding.

“The total 2018-19 local government finance settlement delivers an increase of £342million compared to 2017-18.”