Will SNP MSPs press Scottish government for fair funding for Edinburgh or back more cuts? – Cammy Day

As you read this, we’ll be working through the implications of the SNP government’s draft budget, announced last week.

Edinburgh Labour asks the government to properly recognise the hard work and efforts of local government workers in offering a settlement that fully funds a pay award and provides fair funding for the council and our partners to deliver the services that our city deserves.

The SNP government propose that we should not increase council tax. But with year-on-year underfunding of local authorities across Scotland, and particularly here in the Capital, and the only tax powers we have being council tax, perhaps the Cabinet Secretary for Finance can offer an alternative to fund the black hole that we now face? Or will they again force us to make further cuts to services and jobs, while continuing to lay the blame at our door?

With the SNP government squirrelling away substantial reserves of some £800 million prior to the pandemic, and a further £1.2 billion allocated through the UK Barnett Formula, nearly half of this remains unallocated – maybe hidden away for a rainy day?

With the impact of Covid costing the council around £85 million so far, that rainy day is well and truly upon us and I’m quite sure that, privately at least, SNP leaders across Scotland will be hugely disappointed with this draft budget.

I can only hope that they will listen to the people they serve and, like us, push for greater investment in local government services and in our workforce, especially during these hugely challenging times.

And to our SNP MSPs, let’s hear what you have to say about the budget and funding local services in your communities. Will you push for fair funding for Edinburgh? Or nod your heads like usual when you’re instructed to support cuts to your constituents?

Film fit for future

You may have picked up on the coverage and commentary around the proposals for a new Filmhouse, one of our best loved independent cinemas.

As a long-time fan of this Edinburgh institution, I really hope we can get behind this bold new and more accessible vision for the cinema, which would breathe new life into Festival Square and the surrounding area.

Everyday heroes

Lastly, I want to offer an opposing view of the council’s response to the pandemic than that expressed by my Conservative colleague in these pages – who, instead of praising the extraordinary commitment and care shown by our council teams, chose to attack them.

The cleaners who travel early morning across the city to clean our schools, ready and safe for pupils and school staff arriving, the roads team working all hours to grit our roads and pavements, the care workers working shifts to ensure that many older vulnerable residents are offered the best care they can, and the housing officers and housing repairs staff working all hours to keep our tenants’ homes safe. The list goes on.

Edinburgh Labour stands by our workforce and offers our heartfelt thanks for their ongoing dedication to keep our city going through these most challenging of times.

Cllr Cammy Day is depute Edinburgh Council leader and Scottish Labour group leader

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.