CATASTROPHIC
Council boss warns that cuts could reach £30 million
hospitals and NHS properties – plus plans to introduce three-year council funding settlements from next year.
Councillor Logue responded to the budget vote by saying: “Despite the SNP’S best attempts to spin this settlement as an increase by their government, North Lanarkshire Council will now have to make significant cuts of approximately £30m.
“It is simply disgraceful that every single SNP MSP in North Lanarkshire voted for a budget that will have a catastrophic effect on the local services of their constituents.
“Cuts to councils are cuts to communities – and it’s those communities which elected SNP MSPS to parliament that will bear the brunt of this catastrophic deal.
“If they truly believe that this budget is an increase in funding, then why are we having to contemplate approximately £30m in cuts to our services and why are Snp-controlled councils across Scotland doing the same?”
He added: “I wrote to every SNP MSP in North Lanarkshire to ask them how they intended to vote; a number replied and sadly, instead of facing up to the reality that their constituents’ services will suffer as a result of this budget, I received the same cut-and-paste response that claimed that this was a fair deal for r North Lanarkshire. .
“It has sadly y become quite e clear that they are e more interested d in standing up for r their party bosses s than in standing up p for North Lanarkshire; hire; and although the finance secretary t has h said he has support for all three stages of the budget process, I would urge all local MSPS to think again and represent the interests of their constituents as the budget continues.”
North Lanarkshire SNP leader David Stocks disputed his ward colleague’s assessment, saying: “For North Lanarkshire, this enhanced package offers up a guaranteed £6m and potential £11m of increased funding.
“I welcome this additional resource to local services, against the backdrop of continued Tory Westminster austerity, maintaining our commitment to continuing to deliver the highestquality public services in our communities.
“The budget announcement and increased settlement will allow us to bring forward a budget for the people’s priorities in North Lanarkshire, we can deliver year on year.”
Councillor Stocks added that the bd budget i includes ld i increasing ih health lh funding and allocating money to the pupil equity fund and new infrastructure, and said: “This deal ensures that local government receives a fair funding settlement, despite further cuts to the Scottish budget from the UK.
“These additional measures will deliver the most significant empowerment of local authorities since devolution and provide additional funding to support local services.”
Holyrood’s budget also includes doubling the national plastic bag charge to a minimum of 10p within a year.
Finance secretary Derek Mackay wrote in his letter to Green leader Patrick Harvie: “We will explore the possibility of providing some of the revenue generated by this increase to local government, whilst recognising that significant benefits are currently directed to charities from the proceeds of the charge.”