Disagreement over SLC budget talks

South Lanarkshire’s SNP group criticised the Labour group for pulling out of budget talks.

They called out Labour for refusing to take part in cross-party budget discussions last week.

The‘cross-party budget working group’was set up in 2020 to make sure that every party within South Lanarkshire had a say in the creation of the council budget.

Every party, bar Labour, agreed to a proposal last year that they believed was in the best interest of residents; group leaders agreed to reestablish the working group due to last year’s success.

Labour, however, pulled out for the second year running which has caused criticism from the SNP group.

Council leader John Ross said:“it is clear that, once again, the Labour Party have put playing political games before representing the interests of their constituents.

“From the outset, they have been frustrated that there is nothing in the budget proposal that they can scaremonger over this year.

“And rather than welcome the fact that the administration has managed the council’s finances properly, they have thrown their toys out the pram and lost their place at the negotiating table.

“Also, to claim that the administration has not been open and transparent, whilst simultaneously refusing to engage with the cross-party group is utterly bizarre. However, whilst they shout from the side-lines and play petty games, the SNP will get on with the grown-up job of running the council – working with others to set a balanced and progressive budget.”

The Labour group has defended its decision to drop out of talks citing that this year’s budget process was significantly different from previous years as the reason for not take part.

Leader of the Labour Group, councillor Joe Fagan, in a letter to Councillor John Ross, said:“south Lanarkshire Labour have a number of reservations about the way in which the Budget process has been conducted this year.

“This year’s budget process represented a significant departure from previous years and it is a departure that Labour councillors cannot accept.

“Realistically the Council will have to set a Budget within the next month and there has been no Committee paper updating the public on Budget Strategy since the summer. Cross party briefings have been marked confidential, limiting information that can be placed in the public domain, and the new status afforded to entirely voluntary talks involving leaders and depute leaders limits the flow of budget information to all other councillors.”

He added:“we expect a progressive Budget to deliver investment in our frontline services, action on the cost of living crisis gripping South Lanarkshire and an end to the budget secrecy that impedes scrutiny and is a barrier to sound and transparent decision-making.”

The Labour group has set expectations ahead of yesterday’s council budget, including a cash injection into the frontline services, keeping council tax rises at a minimum and to make the budget transparent and open for public scrutiny.