Clash over NLC budget settlement
Opposition party leaders have traded blows over this year’s North Lanarkshire Council budget settlement.
It was confirmed last week that although the council will receive an additional £18 million in the next financial year compared to 2020, a further £57 million will be cut from the council kitty over the next three years.
SNP Group leader, Councillor Tom Johnston, hit out at Jim Logue’s Labour Group and insisted the budget settlement was a fair deal for North Lanarkshire.
He said: “The 29-strong SNP opposition group will produce its own budget for 202122 for North Lanarkshire Council. Our group has been doing so for many years.
“The council Labour Group rely on working with the Tories to get their council budget through each year.
“North Lanarkshire is the second most deprived local authority in Scotland and the SNP will not be sitting down with Labour’s Tory chums to agree a budget.
“I am delighted with the £90 million being offered to councils by the SNP Government to ensure a Council Tax freeze in 2021-22.
“This will keep the average annual bill for a Band D home at £1,300 and bring relief to hard-pressed families.
“Likewise,the SNP are ensuring that all public sector workers earning below £25,000 will get three per cent rises, despite the very difficult economic times.
“The Labour Group want more cash for local government. To do this, Labour will have to campaign to slash the Scottish NHS budget rise of £800 million or the police budget rise of £60 million – or cut the £2.7 billion Scottish education and skills budget.”
Conservative Group leader Meghan Gallacher blasted back at Councillor Johnston’s claims and insisted the funding from the Scottish Government was not enough.
She said: “Tom Johnston appears to have thrown his toys out the pram ahead of the budget negotiations even starting.
“It’s hardly surprising his patience has worn thin after seeing his SNP Government hammer North Lanarkshire with cuts year after year.
“The SNP Group Leader also incorrectly states that the Conservative Group works with Labour each year to pass a budget.
“This is categorically untrue as last year, the Conservative Group produced and voted for our own budget, which attempted to mitigate millions of pounds worth of SNP cuts to North Lanarkshire Council.
“The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly called for a fair funding deal for our local authorities to be enshrined into law. The budget proposed by the SNP’s Finance Secretary falls far short of that.
“The SNP Government have their largest ever budget from the UK Government yet are only proposing increasing council budgets by less than one per cent. That only risks more vital public services and the jobs that come with them.
“It is time for SNP politicians like Tom Johnston to direct their moans towards their counterparts in Edinburgh and demand a better funding deal from Kate Forbes. Anything less would be a complete dereliction of duty.”