Cuts help to focus minds at councils

Here we go again — another round of service cuts, staff reductions and increases in council tax and charges.

Local authorities seem to be moving in everdecreasing circles against a constant backdrop of funding being squeezed.

I accept that budget restrictions are making life extremely difficult in terms of the delivery of services and that the poorest and most vulnerable in our society must be protected.

However, part of me thinks that the fact council funding has been slashed year after year has served to concentrate minds and ensure that local authorities run more efficiently.

For too long, many councils have been greatly over-staffed with tiers of middle management surplus to requirements.

Invariably, when they are removed, council departments continue to function as before.

When jobs have been lost, it is usually through voluntary redundancy with generous pay-offs for those involved.

Those who remain continue to benefit from a handsome pension scheme which is the envy of many in the private sector.

As far as council tax is concerned, we are now suffering the consequences of the SNP’s obsession with independence.

In an effort to court popularity ahead of the independence referendum, the SNP froze council tax bills.

Now that their dream is over, we are all having to pay the price with a hefty hike in charges, rather than the previous small annual increase.

Citizen.