Campaigns News

Branch lobbies Scottish Parliament for increase to council budget settlement

Banner at Scottish Parliament
Banner at Scottish Parliament

Branch activists lobbied the Scottish Parliament on 3rd and 24th February as it debated the Budget Bill, to call on the Scottish Government to improve their settlement for Local Authorities to prevent cuts and job loss.

Inez Teece, Branch Secretary and Vice Chair of the Scottish Local Government Committee who attended both events with the branch banner said, “It was good to see such a big turnout at the lobby of parliament on the Budget Bill.

“It is very disappointing that the Scottish Government has refused to shift and is talking down the impact of the cuts on council jobs and services.

Scottish Parliament
Susan Kennedy and Inez Teece with branch banner

Branch activists lobbied the Scottish Parliament on 3rd and 24th February as it debated the Budget Bill, to call on the Scottish Government to improve their settlement for Local Authorities to prevent cuts and job loss.

Inez Teece, Branch Secretary and Vice Chair of the Scottish Local Government Committee who attended both events with the branch banner said, “It was good to see such a big turnout at the lobby of parliament on the Budget Bill.

“It is very disappointing that the Scottish Government has refused to shift and is talking down the impact of the cuts on council jobs and services.

Parliament lobby
Cllr Alison Evison holds the branch banner with Inez at the first lobby on 3rd Feb

“The powers of the Scottish Parliament that we voted for are not just there to be admired, stroked and talked about – they are there to be used!”

Assistant Branch Secretary, Susan Kennedy added, “We have heard about 3000 jobs to go in Glasgow, and 2000 in South Lanarkshire and Edinburgh.

“These mean real cuts to real services to real people at a time when the demand from a growing population of older people is increasing.

“Even up here where there are no compulsory redundancies, vacancy freezes and the ending of fixed term contracts leave permanent staff doing more with less.

“We rightly value and protect our NHS. But councils look after the health of our citizens too and local authority services need the same protection.”