SNP's Adam McVey must back Labour, not Scottish Government, on Edinburgh's £150m budget cut – Daniel Johnson

Faced with the prospect of a further £150 million of cuts, Labour's acting city council leader Cammy Day is right to demand an end to the austerity imposed on Edinburgh by the SNP administration in Holyrood.

Acting leader of Edinburgh City Council Cammy Day with Adam McVey, who is currently on parental leave from his role as council leader (Picture: Ian Georgeson)

Over the last decade, cuts have meant that vital services upon which the most vulnerable rely have been cut and cut year after year.

We have seen elderly people stuck in hospital because of a lack of social care and homeless families stranded in temporary accommodation because of housing pressures. Services are already cut to the bone, any more would be cutting into the marrow.

As interim leader, Cammy made the obvious decision to call for a better deal for this city. But this call should not be an interim position for our council, it should be permanent.

Scotland's worst-funded local authority

Championing our city and standing up to unfair cuts should be the permanent position of the leader of the council.

On his return to work from parental leave, SNP group leader Adam McVey must continue to point out the dire consequences of the financial decision made by his SNP colleagues in the Scottish Government.

The people of Edinburgh would expect nothing less from their council, given the £300m worth of cuts the council has had to make since 2012.

Per head, Edinburgh remains the worst-funded local authority in Scotland. From the state of our roads to services for people with dementia, the consequences to this city are stark and need to be called out by the leadership in the council.

I look forward to Adam and Cammy speaking with one voice on this issue. Our city needs them to speak up.

Daniel Johnson is Labour MSP for Edinburgh Southern