A QUARTER of Scotland's population is being shunned in crucial bread and butter issues such as health and education as ministers refuse to negotiate with several major councils, it has been claimed.
In a stinging attack, the leadership of the country's four 'breakaway' local authorities described the government's reluctance to discuss local government funding and other core issues with them as a "travesty" and "putting politics" ahead of the needs of 1.3million people.
It follows the latest rejection by ministers of calls to negotiate with the Scottish Local Government Partnership (SLGP), which is made up of Aberdeen and Glasgow city councils, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire.
Read more: Councils attack SNP moves to give more money to headteachers
The four Labour-led authorities split from councils' umbrella body Cosla around 18 months ago over how Government funding was being distributed and where power within the organisation was focused.
The latest row follows a letter sent to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon on relations with the Government and matters from local taxation to the £1billion City Deal and a response from now former communities minister Alex Neil.
In his pay-off-line and following claims of agreement on a number of points, Mr Neil stated: "Scottish ministers continue to be clear that when it comes to partnership negotiations on major national issues, such as local government funding, health or education we can only negotiate with one body and that is Cosla."
Read more: Councils call for the power to create new local taxes
But following a meeting of the SLGP in recent days, the leader of Aberdeen City Council, Jenny Laing, said the organisation would be taking its issues of concern "to the door of the First Minister".
She said: "The cat is out the bag and the Scottish Government has admitted that when it comes to partnership negotiations on 'major issues' such as local government funding, health and education, they will only talk to Cosla.
"We now have clear evidence that when it comes to the health and care of our elderly, the education of our young, and the infrastructure of our communities, the Scottish Government is prepared to put politics first and deny more than 25 per cent of the population proper representation.
Read more: Over half of Scots think councils as self-serving, new poll reveals
"They have a duty of care to every citizen in the land, not just those who live under councils which are members of COSLA.
"The SLGP will be taking this travesty to the door of the First Minister with a formal position paper in an attempt to bring this diabolical situation to an end once and for all and to ensure that our constituents have a genuine voice at the negotiating table."
The Partnership is to hold a 'mini-conference' within the next few weeks to discuss the issues facing the four authorities, including council tax reform, attainment targets, the planned introduction of a Scottish social security bill, the merger of social work departments and health boards, and plans for public sector budgets in the next couple of years.
Other items include the SNP's plans to create new educational regions and how this will impact on the tens of thousands of school-age children across the areas. It will then again seek negotiations with the Government.
A spokeswoman for the Government said the position had not changed regarding negotiating only with Cosla, adding: "Scottish Ministers have been clear they will continue to engage with all individual councils and their representative bodies on matters that concern them, however for resources and outcomes on national issues we will only negotiate through our formal partnership agreement with Cosla."
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