COSLA rejects Scottish Government’s funding offer

COSLA has rejected the Scottish Government’s 2016/17 funding package for Scottish councils.

Calling it “totally unacceptable” and “an affront to local democracy”, COSLA president Councillor David O’Neill said the 3.5 per cent cut in funding would hit the most vulnerable in communities across Scotland.

Speaking after a meeting of Scottish council leaders in Edinburgh, O’Neill said: “COSLA has today rejected the package of measures for local government as totally unacceptable and an attack on our democratic mandate.

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He added: “The £350 million cut is bad enough, but the way in which it will now be imposed on individual councils is even worse. 

“The Scottish Government is basically forcing individual councils into having to accept the deal.”

If councils defy the Scottish Government and raise council tax, they will lose the Scottish Government money they receive to compensate them for the council tax freeze and for maintaining teacher numbers.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie called on finance secretary John Swinney to “release his grip on councils”, saying they were “suffocating under the centralising pressure of the SNP government”.

“The government’s relationship with local councils has reached an all-time low and it’s time for him to stop his cuts to councils’ budgets and lift the threat of massive fines if the council tax is raised,” said Rennie.

He urged the SNP to back Liberal Democrat proposals to raise £475m a year for education by adding one pence onto each tax rate. 

Despite the COSLA rejection of the budget offer on behalf of its members, some councils are likely to individually accept the Scottish Government’s offer.

“COSLA’s role is to stand up for local government and the communities it serves when under attack and collectively we have done that again today by rejecting this budget,” said O’Neill.

“Sadly, I fully accept however that individual councils, due to the horrendous sanctions they would face, will find that they have no other option but to give in to central direction on this occasion.”

The City of Edinburgh Council has already set a budget for next year based on the Scottish Government’s funding offer.