Mentioned the so-called 'spending review' yesterday ...... well, this is not something I say too often, but I agree completely with Edinburgh's Convener of Finance!
Local paper reports this afternoon that:
Finance Secretary John Swinney told councils they had a choice between a 2.6 per cent funding cut under an agreement to deliver government objectives or a 6.4 per cent cut if they decided not to sign.
The Government said councils which opted out of the deal, announced as part of Mr Swinney's budget yesterday, would effectively have to raise council tax by around 18 per cent.
Edinburgh's finance convener Phil Wheeler said: "That's not really a choice, is it?"
What can I say - it really is 'gun-to-your-head' territory ...
... and is as clear an indication as you'll ever get, of the level of respect that local government currently has in modern Scotland :-(
5 comments:
Has this UK (CON-LIB)government taken leave of any sense they might of had ,if they had any sense to start of with in the first place ?
Did they not say they found a note from the previous government , they said it was solely Labour's fault, to say that the UK did not have any money left to spend ?
Yet, on the 17th of November 2010the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the chap who is looking after this empty gold pot) has declared that the UK would help bail Ireland out of their financial mess with the UK Taxpayer's empty pot of gold and without even asking these poor taxpayers it that was ok. Has the Keeper of the Empty Gold pot gone completely of his head ? He should be relieved of his duty as keeper of the empty gold pot as soon as possible. Should he not ?
Could someone please explain the logic of this crazy crazy crazy plan as whole thing sounds a big bit irish to me and undemocratic ?
Surely if they have enough gold in the empty pot to help bail out the Irish then there is enough to relieve the British people of having to suffer the cuts in services and jobs ?
In fact if the keeper of the empty pot of gold writes a large cheque for Ireland and extends the UK's unauthorised overdraft even further , will the bank manager not have to write him a letter which will cost us the tax payer £35 more! ?
Anonymous
Errm ... I'm not so sure on your argument here: Ireland is a pretty significant trading partner of the UK and if it really did suffer a financial collapse I could see that have seriously negative effects on many people in Scotland and the rest of the UK?
That said, I take your point about the way it could look politically if the UK government find money to help Ireland but is in the midst of a so-called austerity programme itself!
Anyhow, thanks for taking the time to comment ...
Andrew
Does that mean that the UK has to borrow even more money to help bail out Ireland if there is no money left in the UK gold pot ?
Its wee bit like a pennyless man in the street going to the bank and offering to help them out.
If the Conservative principle is to leave things to market forces why are they helping to bail a bankrupt nation out. Is that not what they are blaming the previous government for the debt, when they saved then banks and increase the country's overdraft? They are about to increase it even further are they not?
While I do understand how Ireland is an important trading partner I do not understand how the UK can help considering the state of our own finances. Does it deepen out own problems either way?
Anonymous
Thanks for the further comment ...
... I guess it all just proves that the UK isn't as "pennyless" as some would have us believe.
Andrew
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