Labour Budget will hit services
Labour are to force a vote of “no confidence” in the draft Scottish budget.
The party are expected to say the draft budget does not protect public services in Scotland and delivers £ 700mi l l ion in cuts to lifeline local services.
Finance Minister Derek Mackay claims councils could mitigate the cuts by raising council tax by three per cent.
But Labour believe this will only raise £ 77million in extra revenue – just over 10 per cent of the £700million shortfall.
They also say the draft budget “prov ides no additional funding” to lift the pay of local authority staff.
The par ty wi l l use debating time at Holyrood this week to force a “no confidence” vote.
Finance spokesman James Kelly said: “Derek Mackay’s budget as it stands does not halt austerity in Scotland and will just mean more cuts to hard-pressed public services.
“It is not a spending plan that Labour can support – so we will force a vote of no confidence.
“Councils deliver services that people rely on – from our schools and housing to roads and social care.
“Yet every single year, they bear the brunt of SNP cuts in the budget – £1.5billion since 2011 alone.
“Labour would take a d if ferent approach – protecting funding for lifeline services and giving councils the powers to raise additional revenues and grow the local economy.”