Budget row leads to a political split
Next year’s council budget plans have been thrown into chaos.
The SNP sensationally quit the council’s budget sounding board, which forms the basis of the decisions in protest at what they describe as “Tory influence.”
The Nationalists have since confirmed they would be presenting their own alternative budget.
However, the shock move has been slammed by the ruling Labour administration.
Council Leader Jim Logue said: “This is an astonishing move by the SNP Group.
“The budget sounding board forms the basis of our budget decisions and allows councillors of all parties and none to decide the spending priorities of this council.
“With the SNP Group withdrawing from this process, we can only assume one of two things.
“Either they have no spending priorities for this budget and have no regard for their own constituents, or they know that their own government in Holyrood is planning yet more swingeing cuts to our council’s budget and are simply abdicating responsibility so as not to be tarred by their own government’s ongoing destruction of vital local council services.
“Either way, the people of North Lanarkshire deserve better from their elected representatives. Being involved in the budget process is one of the fundamental aspects of being a councillor and members of the public will rightly ask that if they aren’t willing to take part, then what precisely are SNP councillors there to do?
“Will they instead be putting pressure on their government to stop any further cuts? These questions must be answered.”
The SNP confirmed they would not be taking part in the budget sounding board but instead would present an alternative budget free of “Tory influence”.
New Conservative councillors backed Councillor Logue as leader earlier this year despite the SNP having one more councillor in the chamber than the Labour Group.
Nats group leader David Stocks confirmed the Nationalists will hold their own meetings with officials and draft a “progressive budget without the influence of the party of austerity”.
He added: “Labour made the decision that they wanted to go into bed with the Tories and will now be in a position where their budget will be held hostage by the party of austerity.
“The SNP will form its own budget, free from any Tory influence, and ask for support from independent councillors and some of the visibly uncomfortable Labour backbenchers to ensure the best deal for the people of North Lanarkshire.
“Any suggestion that withdrawing from the sounding board is a withdrawal from the budget process is a complete fallacy and shows the desperation of the Labour leader to distance himself from his own inexcusable deal with the Tories.”