You’re taking austerity and quadrupling it
Labour leader hits out at First Minister
NICOLA Sturgeon was accused yesterday of passing on Tory austerity to cash-strapped councils.
Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for an immediate cash boost a day after an Accounts Commission report warned pressure on services shows no sign of easing.
Sturgeon and Leonard also clashed during First Minister’s Questions over letters sent to parents in the Falkirk Council area last week that warned of “unprecedented” cuts to the authority’s education budget.
The council have since apologised for the “error”. But Leonard said the letters proved councils can’t cope.
He said: “This time last week, the First Minister claimed that she had given a very fair settlement to local government.
“Instead, the Accounts Commission report that funding for councils was cut in real terms by £220million.
“Funding from the SNP Government to local government decreased at a faster rate – 6.92 per cent – than the Scottish Government revenue budget at 1.65 per cent. That’s taking Tory austerity and quadrupling it.
“It has reached the point where headteachers in schools across Falkirk are writing to parents to tell them that this so-called fair settlement means swingeing cuts.”
Sturgeon said the leader of the SNP-run council h a d issued an apology for the “misleading impression”.
And she claimed Falkirk’s education budget increased by £8million this financial year.
The First Minister also said Finance Secretary Derek Mackay had increased the local authority revenue budget in real terms in 2018-19.
She added: “That is ensuring that local government can protect frontline services.”