Plea to change formula for cash ignored

Aberdeen council bosses have failed to convince counterparts to give them a larger share of coronavirus funding.

With one of the largest predicted coronavirus funding gaps in Scotland, city council leaders had argued the emergency cash should be distributed on a needs basis.

The move would have meant £14 million for Aberdeen, which instead can expect less than £6m and faces cuts to services.

None of Scotland’s 31 other councils voted to stray from the regular Cosla funding formula.

Such a move would have passed money

“The formula is prejudicial to interests”

to Aberdeen at their expense.

The failure to change Cosla members’ minds should be “no surprise”, said administration coleader Jenny Laing.

An extra £155m is being shared between local authorities, with Aberdeen council predicting lockdown will cost them at least £30m if it lasts until the end of the month.

Council co-leader Douglas Lumsden said: “Once again Cosla has proposed a funding formula that is prejudicial to the interests of Aberdeen and indeed some councils will actually gain money from this pandemic.”

Cosla president and Aberdeenshire councillor Alison Evison said: “At this stage leaders decided it was better to stick to an agreed formula in these unprecedented times.”