RELATIONS between local authorities and the Scottish government have plummeted to a low after councils defied attempts to impose a funding package conditional on teacher numbers.

Following an emergency meeting of umbrella body Cosla, council leaders accused John Swinney of threatening financial sanctions, voting by 19 to eight not to accept a £51million funding package without their involvement .

The finance secretary had warned at the Budget for 2015-16, which was passed by Holyrood on Wednesday, he would bypass Cosla and deal only with individual authorities, after agreement on a previous deal was not reached.

Mr Swinney, also the deputy first minister, warned that a "failure to deliver" would "result in a claw back of funding".

All eight which voted against are SNP-run councils.

The move throws the Government's plans on teacher numbers into disarray and marks an escalation in a bitter turf war between councils and ministers.

Several opposing authorities have accused the Scottish Government of politicking over the issue in the run up to May's general election, claiming recent conversations with ministers had focused more on pupil outcomes.

Others have expressed surprise Cosla's members have taken such a defiant stance with Mr Swinney.

However, with tens of millions on the table and commitments to meet both sides will be forced to arrive at a resolution in the near future.

The number of teachers in Scotland's schools fell to a 10 year low last year, with the total of 50,824 250 fewer than the previous year and more than 4200 down on 2007 when the SNP took power.

In recent months several councils have published budgets were savings have been dependent on cuts to teaching staff.

Some authorities, including Moray and Fife, have claimed they face huge difficulties in recruiting teachers and that they are being penalised for a supply issue beyond their control.

Education Secretary Angela Constance said: "The Scottish Government has made an offer of £51m to 32 individual local authorities to support maintaining the number of teachers in Scotland's schools and we invite them to respond positively to that offer.

"The Scottish Government has worked successfully in partnership with local authorities through Cosla and we remain fully committed to that partnership. Ministers are committed to maintaining teacher numbers in line with pupil numbers as a central part of our priority to raise attainment. The fact that Cosla Leaders were unable to collectively agree to the offer of funding support from the Government to maintain teacher numbers meant that Ministers had no alternative but to make that funding available on a council by council basis."

Jim Fletcher is leader of East Renfrewshire Council, which runs many of Scotland's best performing schools. He said the council had no intention of cutting teacher numbers in the next year but accused Mr Swinney of "naked politicking" ahead of the election.

He said: "We're the top authority for attainment, have invested in education in recent years yet if we miss the teacher numbers target by one we get penalised.

"This is naked politicking, a manufactured fight to blame Labour councils for falling teacher numbers before May's election.

"Other groups of workers don't get the same protection as teachers and other services will suffer as we attempt to preserve these numbers."

Cosla president David O'Neill said: "Council leaders were adamant that only collective discussions at a national level can resolve the issue and that no council be sanctioned as a result of workforce planning issues.

"To put it simply Scottish Government tried to bypass Cosla on a difficult and complex issue by taking national negotiation off the table. Council leaders put it right back on."