Democracy has been eroded

Sir, - Council hustings must be similar across Scotland. After candidate statements, the audience bemoans the decline in sporting, transportation, library and community facilities. Candidates agree it is terrible and something should be done.

Then reasons for the destruction of such vital pillars of local life start to emerge.

The main local culprits are education and burgeoning social care budgets.

They, along with national universal benefits such as free prescriptions, over-60s bus fares and baby boxes (at a cost of £35 million a year) devour cash previously spent on local facilities.

My council, Aberdeenshire, gets £63m less every year from Holyrood than it should do.

On top of that, the SNP tried to transfer council tax hikes to Central Belt schools and impose horrendous rises in business rates, decisions eventually reversed after two by-election losses to the Tories and a campaign by the business community.

It is not just money. The SNP weaken local councils and democracy by centralising powers to Holyrood, passing much of what is left to schools and local groups.

Now it is now dawnimg on the audience that these elections aren’t about swing parks and potholes but the very nature of democracy in Scotland, the SNP’s control freakery and how parties and candidates will fight this.

In addition, a second independence referendum hangs over us like a bad smell.

Previously I voted for the person, not the party, including an SNP councillor.

I have learned my lesson. Any SNP or Green vote is a vote for independence. I will never vote SNP again in my life.

Allan Sutherland. 1 Willow Row, Stonehaven.