I think Simon Jenkins is a secret fan of this blog ;-))
... a couple of months ago, I linked to a pretty good article he had in the Guardian about the lack of Local Authority autonomy - which I have consistently argued has actually got a LOT WORSE since last May.
Well, mix that subject up with the SNP's plan for a National (for that's what is is) Income Tax and - hey presto - Jenkins has sussed it ... "the great city of Glasgow will become an agency of the Edinburgh civil service".
Sadly, he's almost spot-on :-(
... problem is, its actually a lot worse than he thinks RIGHT NOW, because we no longer "work out what they need within agreed spending targets, but have some discretion in fixing council tax levels thereafter". Not since that 'nice' Council Tax freeze earlier this year.
Yes: the whole of Scottish Local Government is on the verge of losing ALL autonomy ... on that Jenkins is tragically right - unless, of course, the current plans are watered down to give local variability and discretion (its called autonomy!) ...
... and he's also realised the HUGE IRONY that its the Party of "Independence" who is going to remove that very same thing from the tier of Government they now control.
You couldn't make it up.
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