Edinburgh MSP Alex Cole-Hamilton blasts Scottish Government over 'paltry' funding for Capital

Edinburgh Western MSP and Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton has hit out at the Scottish Government as newly published audited accounts confirmed the Capital had the lowest spending per head of all the local authorities in Scotland.

Alex Cole-Hamilton says Edinburgh needs its fair share of government funding

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The figures showed council spending in Edinburgh was just £1,771 per head compared to the country-wide average of £2,136.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said the Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics for 2020-21 highlighted the city’s unfair funding deal from the Scottish Government.

He said: "Across Scotland local authorities are seeing their budgets cut by the SNP, but what these figures show is that even compared to other corners of Scotland, people in Edinburgh get even more of a raw deal.

"These paltry finances will have a direct impact on our local council’s ability to do all the important things we need them to do, like looking after our roads, picking up our bins, protecting our environment and educating our children.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats believe that decisions about where funding should go are best made by local authorities and local councillors who are embedded in their communities. That’s why we’ve always opposed SNP plans to ring fence council funds and take decisions centrally about where they are spent.

"The government needs to restore the £250m cut from local government in the recent budget and get on with making sure Edinburgh gets a fair share."

The accounts show spending in Glasgow was £2,290 per head, in Dundee £2,234 and in Aberdeen £1,857.

The figure for East Lothian was £2,061, West Lothian £2,070 and Midlothian £2,197.

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