SNP accused of ‘taking an axe’ to services after 22,000 local government job losses
Cuts to council budgets over the last parliament are to blame for 22,000 fewer jobs in local authorities across Scotland, a pro-union campaign group has claimed.
Scotland in Union, which campaigns against Scottish independence, analysed the local government settlements for councils for each year since 2015/16 under the SNP and the number of full-time jobs at local authorities.
The claim comes after former Shadow minister Paul Sweeney, a Labour candidate in next week’s Holyrood election, blamed SNP budget cuts for a 'horrendous level’ of “lost” Glasgow councilrun venues forced to remain closed despite the easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Scotland in Union pointed to figures published by the Scottish Government, which show the number of full-time equivalent roles in local government has dropped from 230,000 in 2007 when Alex Salmond was first elected as first minister to 208,000 in the final quarter of last year.
Pamela Nash, the group’s chief executive, said the SNP
has “taken an axe” to local government services .
In 2015/16, local government funding stood at £10.7 billion, which – had it risen with inflation and funding levels remained static – would be equivalent to £12.1bn for the 2021/22 financial year.
However, the SNP’S budget only provides £11.6bn to councils as part of its funding settlement this year, but local authorities will also receive an additional £600 million to “support vital local government services”, the SNP said.
Ms Nash said: “It [the SNP] has short-changed councils of £500m for the year ahead and has overseen the loss of 22,000 jobs.
“This would have a devastating impact at any time, but it will be felt more keenly as the country recovers from Covid.
“Local services are needed more than ever, and politicians should be focused on bringing communities together during the difficult years ahead.
“That’s why the SNP should abandon its bid to divide communities and put our recovery at risk with a second independence referendum.”
An SNP spokesperson said the party had “protected” local government from austerity cuts originating in Westminster of around 7.8 per cent since 2013/14.
Nicola Sturgeon’s party has previously pledged to scrap council tax in earlier elections going back as far as the first SNP Government under Mr Salmond, only to ditch the plans.
The party’s manifesto states cross-party work to replace the tax – which is based on the value of property in the early 1990s – was underway before the Covid-19 pandemic.
Instead, the party is now committing to a Citizen’s Assembly to consider the future for local government funding alongside a freeze of council tax and removing it entirely for those under the age of 22.
The SNP spokesperson said: “This financial year, Scotland's councils will receive a funding package of £11.6bn. This will include providing councils with an increase in day to day revenue spending of £335.6m.
"In total, councils will receive additional revenue funding of almost £600m to support vital local government services in 2021/22.
"The SNP has protected local authorities from cuts imposed by Westminster to the Scottish Government's resource budget of 7.8 per cent since 2013/14.
"Councils in Scotland have experienced a cashterms increase of 3.6 per cent between 2013 and 2020, whereas councils in England have suffered at the hands of the Tories with a cash terms reduction in their revenue funding of 14.7 per cent."
Meanwhile Mr Sweeney has highlighted his concern for many venues still unable to reopen in Glasgow despite lockdown easing.
Citing the council’s arm’slength organisation Glasgow Life’s list of venues unable to openwithimmediateeffect,mr Sweeneysaid:“thisisstillahorren dous level of lost venues in Glasgow's communities.
"Closures, 'not scheduled for reopening', privatised or dumpedoncommunitygroups with no guarantees on grant funding. It all goes back to SNP budget cuts.”
The list of venues includes the Gallery of Modern Art’s library, Scotland Street School Museum, and a series of community and sports facilities such as Easterhouse Sports Centre and Alexandra Park Golf Course.
Glasgow City Council said there were “various reasons” for the closures, citing some were being used as testing centres, others were unable to operate under Covid restrictions and some were the subject of discussions regarding “a greater level of community management”.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: “We have been very clear for some time now about the impact of the pandemic on Glasgow Life.
"It has affected our ability to open venues and run the services, events and experiences we are proud of delivering for the people of Glasgow and visitors to the city.”
Douglas Ross attacked for previous comments on gay marriage during debate
Douglas Ross was attacked for his previous views on same-sex marriage during a bad tempered leaders’ debate on Channel 4.
The Scottish Conservative leader was asked about his position on equal marriage in last night’s debate following a report in the Daily Record that he, while a councillor in Moray in 2014, had said he would have voted against the legislation had he been an MSP.
Told the legislation had made former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson “cry with joy”, the Moray MP said it was now something “we should support”.
Asked directly whether he would have voted against the legislation that allowed gay people to marry their partners, Mr Ross said he had been “balancing both sides of the argument”.
He said: “I’ve said in a debate in Moray Council chamber
that there was a passionate, engaged debate on both sides and I was balancing both sides of the argument because many constituents had contacted me. I said at the time I would have voted against it, just like two of Nicola Sturgeon’s ministers voted against it, but I have also said I fully support it.
"I think marriage is a thing of beauty both for men and women and people of same sex and I think it is something we should support.”
The response earned a stinging attack from Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar, who accused the Scottish Conservative leader of representing the “same old Tories”.
Referring to the apology around comments about the gypsy traveller community from Mr Ross at the previous debate on STV, Mr Sarwar said Scotland “deserves better”.
He said: “We’ve gone back to the same old Tories. The cuddly
Tories under Ruth Davidson are well and truly gone.
"There’s a reason why Ruth Davidson has walked away, because Boris, we’ve got Boris, we’ve got Brexit, we’ve got chaos, we’ve got division, and not only is Douglas talking about same sex marriage, but he has already had to apologise for hateful views against other minority communities in Scotland. We are back to the same old Tories and frankly we deserve better.”
The leaders also clashed over accusations against Boris Johnson of sleaze and the alleged “pile the bodies high” comments made by the Prime Minister.
Mr Ross said he believed the Prime Minister following Mr Johnson’s denial that he said the comment, but attacked the comments themselves.
He said: “Those comments are unacceptable from anyone, whatever level of elected
office or any individual at all and I would never support those comments, but the Prime Minister has said he did not make them.”
Responding, Nicola Sturgeon said she was “staggered” at what she described as “hypocrisy”, after Mr Ross and his party attempted to oust the First Minister over her government’s handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond before she had given evidence to that inquiry.
However, Ms Sturgeon was pressured over the SNP’S handling of their investigations into disgraced former finance secretary Derek Mackay by Mr Ross.
Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said the competing claims of sleaze were “grotesque”, while Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the level of confidence in the UK Government had hit “rock bottom”.