YOU report that John Swinney intends to write to George Osborne about potential cuts to public funding (“Councils tell Osborne: We cannot take any more pain”, The Herald, November 23). Mr Swinney should know, because the Scottish Parliament Information Centre published a report last month detailing the fact that the SNP has cut local authority spending by three per cent more than the cuts the Scottish Government has itself received from Westminster. Also, the SNP has had a significant under-spend every year it has been in power.
Mr Swinney has a solution ready to hand: restoring the three per cent cuts which will go some way to alleviating the problem and, if it looks like he is running his traditional under-spend this year, he could pass the money to local government as a bonus and goodwill gesture. Problem solved, no need to write to the Chancellor.
Alex Gallagher,
Labour member, North Ayrshire Council,
12 Phillips Avenue, Largs.
AS I recollect Gordon Brown's “Vow”, it was to be the nearest thing to federalism that was possible within the confines of the Act of Union of 1707. This should have allowed John Swinney to walk into the Smith Commission, state that full fiscal autonomy for Scotland was the only acceptable outcome, and promptly walk back out again.
Instead of that, he sat there for weeks, eventually agreeing to the half-baked load of nonsense that leaves the UK Parliament giving with one hand and then taking away the same amount, or more, with the other.
No wonder the House of Lords is scratching its head in bewilderment and the UK Government is laughing up its sleeve. Scotland deserves more astute politics than this.
DH Telford,
11 Highfield Terrace,
Fairlie.
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