Taxing issue

The SNP leader of Edinburgh’s council coalition was ecstatic when he heard the Scottish Government had found more money for councils and Edinburgh was now facing a cut of only 3.6 per cent this year. Doesn’t seem much, but it means a cut of over £25 million – on top of £240m of cuts over the past five years – that at a time when inflation is rising and there are greater demands from an ageing population and rising school rolls.

Some will say these cuts were possible because the council was wasting money, but the truth is that vital services are now really suffering: for example, more than 2,500 people queuing for a care package, schools short of staff, with nurseries and those with special needs particularly affected, and thousands who are homeless.

Rural authorities do face higher costs than cities, but why are Aberdeen and Edinburgh at the bottom of the allocations with 79 per cent of the Scottish average, while Glasgow and Dundee (Snpcontrolled councils) get over 110 per cent, even though Edinburgh is the economic powerhouse of Scotland and has many extra commitments .

A cut of 3.6 per cent is not a good settlement – only a less bad one. Although it is allowing councils to raise the council tax by 3 per cent, the Scottish Government still refuses to allow them to raise money in other ways, for example through the sort of tourist levy we expect to pay abroad, or a workplace parking levy which would cut congestion and pollution by reducing the number of cars coming into the city.

The Scottish Government’s funding from Westminster has been reduced by only 1.6 per cent over the past four years but its funding to councils has gone down 6.9 per cent. Could this be because it is trying to take decision-making away from local authorities and grab more power?

HENRY L PHILIP Grange Loan, Edinburgh