Edinburgh Tory candidate claims spending figures show how SNP has 'hammered' Capital

A new report showing Edinburgh with the lowest spending on council services per person in Scotland is evidence of how the SNP have “hammered” the Capital, a Tory election candidate has claimed.

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Scott Douglas, who is standing for the Conservatives in Edinburgh Central, said the city’s schools, housing and infrastructure had suffered as a result of underfunding.

The report on annual local government finance statistics shows net spending on general council services in Edinburgh in 2019/20 was £1,632 per person, the lowest of all 32 Scottish local authorities. It compares with the Scottish average of £2,121 per person and the spending in Glasgow, which was the highest of all the mainland councils at £2,867.

Scott Douglas is Tory candidate in Edinburgh Central

Mr Douglas, who is Conservative councillor for Corstorphine/Murrayfield, said: “These figures lay bare just how badly the SNP have neglected Edinburgh.

“Over the past 14 years they have raided the council budget of our city and we now have less money being spent per person here than anywhere else in the country.

“As a result we’ve seen key services underfunded, and our schools, housing and infrastructure have suffered.

“It’s a sorry state of affairs, and calls into question why the SNP think it’s OK to hammer our capital city in this way.

“This is why the Scottish Conservatives want to create a permanent financial settlement for councils to prevent the SNP from slashing their budgets in this manner.”

Edinburgh Central, won in 2016 by former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, is the most marginal seat in the city and is top target for the SNP.

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