Local budget priorities

I'll put the full details of our budget up on the blog tomorrow - but, for now, here are our main local priorities which we'll be trying to promote through our proposals:

• Schools - protect and enhance devolved school budgets, alongside the creation of a significant Schools' Energy and Efficiency revenue fund


• Economic Development - make additional investment in ‘economic development activities’ thus providing significant new support to stimulate the Edinburgh economy


• Protecting the Vulnerable - invest additional monies in ‘Care for the Elderly’ services, setting a budget which meets and protects the needs of vulnerable people


• Transport - to invest enough revenue to protect all currently ‘supported bus services’ across Edinburgh; and to re-phase all non-essential roadworks for the duration of the current tram works, prioritising pavement repairs


• Local Environment - to invest significant new monies, across the 12 Neighbourhood Partnerships, to be locally allocated towards improving street, and open space, cleanliness


• Culture and Leisure - to invest new monies towards cultural education and outreach work, benefiting organisations such as the Scots Music Group, Scottish Ballet and Opera
  

In essence, the Labour budget will focus on education and services for vulnerable people, two areas which have been badly hit by Lib-Dem/SNP cuts over the last 2-years. We're also determined to look innovatively at how we respond locally to current economic difficulties - a priority for the city, which we feel has been badly led over the last 12-months.

- more to follow tomorrow ...