Bowled over ...

No, not the Scotland football team ... although I think they were :-(( ... but I'm referring to a family visit to do a bit of ten pin bowling earlier today ... and the ongoing Council Concordat saga!

Hadn't been bowling for ages, and all the kids present this morning really enjoyed themselves - as did the adults :-)

On a work-note, I see the Sunday press has widely varying views on the whole COSLA Concordat saga ... is Local Government autonomy being stripped away, or are we on the edge of nirvana and a Council Tax freeze?

I know which view I feel is closest to the truth:

• Scotland has an inflation-busting settlement (even John Swinney sometimes publicly admits that this year is 0.5% ABOVE inflation)
• Local Authorities are to be given £70million to implement a 0% Council Tax
• none of that money is for the SNP National Manifesto priorities, but to fund the loss of Council Tax income
• but to get the money Local Authorities have to sign a Single Outcome Agreement confirming they will deliver those very same national priorities

So, the options are:

• sign the deal, implement a 0% Council Tax, be bound to deliver the National Government's priorities but not receive a penny to do so, even though to do so will cost an absolute fortune - result: over time, numerous public services will lose funding and support as there is a blind panic to deliver national priorities at the expense (literally) of local services
• don't sign the deal, raise Council Tax, stand back and watch local voters reaction

New politics??