LOCAL jobs, vital services and the poorest communities are again in the firing line as Westminster and Holyrood prepare to cut budgets, the body representing Scotland’s councils has warned.
Claiming local authorities can “take no more pain”, Kevin Keenan, finance spokesman for the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the umbrella body for councils, said that even a marginal cut could have major ramifications for frontline services.
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The Scottish Government local government revenue settlement fell by £507 million, or over five per cent, last year accounting for inflation and councils across Scotland project multi- million- pound budget gaps as they anticipate further cuts.
Speaking in advance of the UK Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on Wednesday, Mr Keenan said: “The decisions taken by the UK Government later this week and then by Scottish Government ministers next month will have a massive bearing on communities in terms of local services and local jobs.
“For the sake of local services and local jobs within communities throughout Scotland, I can only hope that they recognise local government is at a defining moment and that the communities we represent can take no more pain.
“It is time for an honest debate. There is no more meat on the bone. This time round there are no more soft targets. We would be talking of severe cuts in vital services and job losses in communities, and sadly these will impact on the poorest in our society.
“In addition to this, over the last five years 40,000 jobs have been shed in local government.
“That’s 40,000 people in an economy looking for alternative employment.
“In areas where local government is the main employer, this is catastrophic and it is those areas that have suffered the most.
“Communities and the economy are suffering alike.”
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A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: “It is too early to speculate on next year’s local government settlement in light of the ongoing discussions between the Scottish Government and Cosla on the spending review and the wider public service reform agenda, and also in advance of the UK Government Autumn Statement.
“Both will have a significant impact on the final local government settlement which will not be confirmed until later in December.”
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