Local MP Katy Clark has criticised the SNP for failing our local communities by spending a lower share of its budget on locally delivered services.
Official budget tables published by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre revealed that the share of the Scottish Governments budget provided to local governments will fall from 34.7% in 2006-07 to 33.9% in 2010-11.
Katy said, “We are in the midst of a recession yet the share of funding given to local authorities for front line services such as Education and Social Work is falling and this must mean these services will suffer.”
“I am very concerned that the SNP is underfunding local authorities and hindering their ability to make a difference to our communities. We know the problems that North Ayrshire Council will face with next years budget however this would be made easier if they had received a greater share of Scotland’s budget.”
“Local authorities are simply not being given the tools to do the job and SNP manifesto pledges are being left behind as a consequence. Class sizes are increasing despite continued pledges to cut primary 1, 2 and 3 classes to 18. We were also promised that all children in Scotland would receive free all year round swimming but only two local authorities have been in a position to actually implement such an offer.”
“The SNP need to explain why local authorities are not getting their fair share of the budget. I assume they will say again that their budget is to be cut by £500m next year, when in real terms it has increased, and this is not an excuse for lowering the share of the budget passed to Councils.”