SNP claims over Budget ‘verging on dishonest’

COUNCILS have accused Derek Mackay of lying about their Budget deal, as they plan to slash hundreds of millions from schools and roads.

One local authority leader said the Finance Secretary’s claims that councils had been treated fairly were ‘completely false and verging on the dishonest’. Another compared him to Scrooge.

Scots will see services cut as they are forced to pay more, as council tax is expected to rise by 3 per cent.

Mr Mackay insisted councils had received a real terms increase in funding in his 2019-20 Budget, which was unveiled earlier this month.

But much of that was ring-fenced for the Government’s own priorities – such as increasing free childcare – and councils said they had less money for day-to-day services.

We contacted all 32 councils to ask what cuts they planned and where the axe would fall. Only 16 provided figures, but those were more than £380 million over the new few years.

That did not include Glasgow, Scotland’s largest council, so the total could easily double.

School budgets – aside from teacher salaries – road maintenance and environmental services were cited as areas where cuts might be made.

Aberdeen City Council will try to reduce spending by £45 million.

Its Labour co-leader, Jenny Laing, said: ‘It is clear from the financial settlement that Derek Mackay and the SNP do not care about protecting public services in Aberdeen.

‘He is certainly acting like Ebenezer Scrooge, as he is a miser when it comes to providing Aberdeen City Council with a fair settlement.’

David Ross, Labour co-leader of Fife Council, said it faces trying to cut £10 million-£11 million.

He added: ‘Claims by the SNP Government that councils are being treated fairly are completely false and verging on the dishonest.

‘The consequences of this are likely to be further cuts to school budgets, cuts in roads maintenance, cuts to environmental and housing services, cuts to voluntary sector organisations, increases in charges and further cuts in support staff such as finance and HR. This could mean a loss of as many as 200 jobs.’

Edinburgh City Council is consulting on a four-year strategy that will mean at least £106 million of cuts. Its strategy report said: ‘We will have to face increasingly difficult choices.’

The Scottish Government insisted that the deal was fair.

Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes said: ‘We are delivering a funding package of £11.1 billion for local authorities next year, which Scottish Parliament Information Centre figures confirm is a real terms increase of over £210 million, or 2 per cent, for essential public services in Scotland.’

But council umbrella body COSLA claimed that, when ring-fenced funding was excluded, it was actually a £237 million cut.

‘Acting like Ebenezer Scrooge’