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The National
3 days ago
- Business
- The National
Scotland's budget is a disaster – but it's not just the UK's fault
There are many things wrong with the current devolution settlement, and Scotland will do immeasurably better as an independent Scotland, but the mantra that Westminster dictates Holyrood's Budget is not borne out by the legislation. For some reason, which I can only put down to a fear of taking responsibility for our economy, the Scottish Government and its Cosla colleagues spend inordinate time and effort and administrative costs carving out revenue-raising initiatives, the sum total of which may raise at best marginal amounts, via double Council Tax on second homes, licensing short-term tenancies, tourist taxes and now a cruise levy, while cavorting with the UK Government as the junior partner in twisted green (free) ports and levelling-up programmes. Apart from introducing Land and Buildings Transaction Tax as a tartan tribute act to Westminster's Stamp Duty Land Tax, the Scottish Government has singularly failed to use the powers of devolved taxes in the Scotland Act which even its own senior civil servants agree can be done. READ MORE: Why the UK media 180 on Gaza is too little, too late The powers relate to transactions on the acquisition of an interest in land, and as a result give the Scottish Government almost total control over the use of land as a source of public revenue. With the exception of our people, land is our most valuable and flexible resource which can be used to raise public funds to replace the block grant; to tax the pipes and cables of the energy companies; to lift everyone out of poverty; to transform land ownership both in rural and urban Scotland, and provide the surest of foundations to build our enterprising economy. Instead, we over-concentrate in inward investment which can depart somewhat more quickly than the painstaking efforts and subsidies used to bring it here in the first place. Inward investment extracts value from our economy for the benefit of the home states of the investors. Scots are a nation of Haves. Our income may buy less than before in comparison with other nations, but within the UK, we have the highest salaries outwith London and the south-east. The social contract between our government and our people provides many benefits and rights not enjoyed by the other three nations and our poverty levels are significantly less than theirs also. If we are to maintain the Scottish Government's propaganda that we are in some form of straitjacket then that's meat to those Unionists who proclaim that we are better off in the UK and are subsidised by it, precisely because independent analysis shows we are better off than most nations and regions in the UK. If we are really serious about independence, we must reject the block grant and raise and collect all public revenue in Scotland – then the subsidy claim is buried once and for all. The powers which we have under devolution can transform all lives and end poverty. Using them to put money in everyone's pocket will set us with self-confidence on the highway to independence as the potholes of Unionism descend into a vortex of despair. Graeme McCormick Arden MY wife and I will shortly make our 32nd visit to the Greek island of Rhodes. We love the Greek people and their determination to be free of the oppression by the Turks for more than 300 years. We were severely disappointed at the 2014 referendum 'No' vote and more so when we had the embarrassment of being offered the condolences of sympathetic Greek friends after that result. Every Sunday when we are in Rhodes, we witness a military parade to the national monument in which the Greek flag is lowered and their national anthem is sung by the crowd of local people and visitors. The Greeks revere their national flag whose nine stripes represent the nine syllables of their motto, in Greek 'Eleftheria i Thanatos', meaning 'Freedom or Death'! (Image: Danny Lawson) The Greeks actually FOUGHT for their independence, as did India, Ireland and almost all of the so-called 'British Empire'. Every time we witness that parade in Rhodes, we feel thoroughly ashamed of our compatriots who couldn't even find the courage to put an X on a ballot paper. Scotland the Brave? The Scottish people should get up off their knees and establish, not claim, their sovereign independence. It should be remembered that the so-called Union was enabled by a 'Parcel of Rogues', as Rabbie said! Jim McKenna East Kilbride WELL done to Kelly Given on her powerful assessment on the Gaza situation and the very belated criticism of Israel from the UK Government (Doing the right thing now does nothing for the dead, May 22). David Lammy described Israel's continued action as a new dark phase in the conflict. That was the case many months ago, but they said nothing except making weak statements about more aid needing to get in. Nothing about the wanton death and destruction which the UK is helping to facilitate. War crimes are war crimes whoever is responsible. I suspect UK Government ministers are now getting a bit nervous that they might be complicit if a war crimes trial ever comes to fruition. The UN investigations are ongoing, and even if there were a ceasefire tomorrow, these indictments don't go away. The Benjamin Netanyahu government has been testing how far it can go breaking international law for the past 18 months and has found it can get away with just about anything, shielded as it is by the US, which of course doesn't recognise the ICC. We're doing our bit out of Akrotiri, providing surveillance, as you highlighted in The National, as well as possibly helping the transport of weapons from the US to Israel. The UK Government said it's suspending trade talks with Israel. I didn't know there were any. Why would you want to trade with a regime guilty of war crimes? We stopped trading with Russia as soon as it invaded Ukraine. UK exports to Israel are around £3 billion and imports slightly less at £2.5bn, a relatively minor trading partner. While it's currently illegal for institutions to boycott Israeli goods, consumers are free to make their own decisions. Fruit and vegetables is one area to keep an eye on, as the origin is sometimes deliberately concealed. Another consumer area is moulded plastic, and there's quite a lot of plastic garden furniture and storage stocked by DIY stores and garden centres which are made in Israel, but you have to look very carefully to find the origin in the small print. When will justice be done? Hugh Walker Dunfermline MUCH is said, and rightly so, about large-scale electricity generators bespoiling the landscape. I feel that we would be better served by using marine generators to draw energy from tidal flow, particularly where narrows are formed such as at Corran and the nearby entrance to Loch Leven. One very good reason for using tidal generation is that the power will be produced for about 18 hours every day and not have downtime like wind generators. They can be small scale to power island or mainland rural communities which ideally will be locally publicly owned and operated, or large scale to feed a new Scotland grid. Another advantage is that high tides are at different times around Scotland's coast thereby giving a steady flow to the grid. As is the case of the marine generator at Strangford Lough in north-east Ireland, there is no impediment to shipping. We could also reset our thinking away from the mega size and think more about the micro scale. How many farms et cetera have a large burn flowing down, well capable of a decent output like the one which outlets into Loch Ard but can barely be seen? We could also make better use of our planning laws as I see new houses and buildings going up with perhaps as little as two or no solar panels PV. Or thermal. M Ross Aviemore LES Hunter (Letters, May 23) admirably articulates the Labour Theory of Property as expounded most notably by John Locke. Nobody can claim outright ownership of the gifts of nature (or God, if you will); only artefacts can rightly be deemed legitimate property. But then the socialist planner in Les takes over, demanding that the whole country be taken into public ownership when this is already the case (the only real landowner is the state, which claims eminent domain). And private hospitals, schools etc should certainly not be exempt from a land-use levy. We could rely on Adam Smith's 'invisible hand' to regulate land questions fairly, if only the state would create a level playing field, ending monopoly and speculation by fully recovering site values for revenue. George Morton Rosyth 'FIVE More Years' of John Swinney would be the death knell of the declining impetus in the independence campaign. The SNP Government should delete the N for National and insert D for Devolution, as they are like nodding dogs towards corrupt Westminster. We need a political body with the word 'independence' at the forefront of its targeted programme. It is years behind time that the current government will have to reform its attitude if it is to establish Scotland as a country and not a county, being pillaged of its assets by the despicable Unionist governments in England. Sandy Coghill Isle of Skye IT'S time to ditch Crown immunity. No-one is above the law, even government ministers. When will the British government stop its long history of aiding, abetting and committing genocidal clearance? The list is not exhaustive. Not unlike Gaza ... they spent the 1700s and 1800s either committing genocide or clearance against the Scots, let one million Irish starve in the 1840s by failing to assist them and exporting the little food they had to England (causing en masse emigration), backed the Nigerian government in the 1960s which led to mass starvation and genocide in Biafra. They pushed for less of a UN troop presence in Rwanda in the 1990s which led to genocide, bombed Iraq on false pretences killing half a million between 2003-2011 for access to oil wells and now Westminster is backing genocide in Palestine. A quarter of MPs have been financially backed by Israel, thus giving Israel massive influence over UK policy-making. Yet, none of this represents the vast majority of British voters. So, if our MPs are not representing us, who are they representing? If the Northern Irish, Welsh and Scots have any sense, they will make the three devolved governments come together and agree to hold a referendum on freedom on the same day for each nation. It's time to kick the British government out. R McCallum Dalry
Daily Record
22-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
Warning West Lothian Council's £35m budget black hole is 'unsustainable'
The Accounts Commission said watchdogs are warning local authorities will face 'difficult decisions on what services can be delivered' after reports Scottish council's face a near £1 billion black hole in the next two years. West Lothian Council's finance chief has warned the funding crisis facing the local authority is 'of a magnitude never experienced before.' The Accounts Commission said watchdogs are warning local authorities will face 'difficult decisions on what services can be delivered' after reports Scottish council's face a near £1 billion black hole in the next two years. In West Lothian the budget gap is reportedly £35m - and the council leader said the situation is 'unsustainable' West Lothian has had to cut more than £200m from its budgets since 2007. The Accounts Commission said for this year, the budget gap between the country's 32 local authorities stands at £647 million - up £52 million from 2024-25. This comes despite councils receiving £15.2 billion from the Scottish Government in the budget for 2025-26 - with the amount of cash rising by 6% in real-terms. The Accounts Commission said: 'Councils are currently anticipating a cumulative revenue budget gap of £997 million over the next two years.' The hike in employers' national insurance contributions is also impacting councils, with local government body Cosla saying this could cost £370 million a year - more than double the £144 million provided by the Scottish Government towards the rise. Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: 'Due to insufficient funding from the Scottish Government the council has a budget gap of £35 million over the next three years, with us having to make nearly £12 million of savings this year alone. 'By 2028 the West Lothian Council will have had to make budget savings of over £207 million.' 'These are the stark facts and the pain is felt across all Scottish councils. 'The gap between what funding we receive and what services we are expected to deliver is significant and it is an unsustainable situation. 'The growing demand for service set against a backdrop of insufficient levels of funding means we are at breaking point. Councils are in an impossible situation in terms of what is expected of us and the services we provide, and our ability to provide them.' Kenneth Ribbons, West Lothian's Interim Head of Finance and Property Services said: 'The continuing financial crisis facing local government is of a magnitude never experienced before. 'Increases in Scottish Government funding fall well short of the funding required to stabilise finances as is the case with all Scottish Local Authorities. That is clearly highlighted by the Accounts Commission. 'The scale of the financial challenges are of such a level that this additional funding does not fully address the substantial and ever increasing cost of delivering services to our local communities. This is particularly the case in relation to delivering health and social care services. 'COSLA has emphasised that the additional funding only provides a real terms protection and is not an increase that will reverse the impact of many years of budget reductions and flat cash settlements.' Councils across Scotland increased council tax for 2025-26 to help with their finances - with rises ranging from 6% in South Lanarkshire to 15.6% in Falkirk. In West Lothian Council Tax rose to 8.95% However the Accounts Commission said higher bills for local people means 'there is greater expectation on the performance of local services'. Accounts Commission member Derek Yule warned of a 'growing expectation gap' for authorities. He said: 'Councils don't have enough money to meet current demand, at a time when local communities are being asked to contribute more through increases in council tax and charges for some services.' As a result, Mr Yule said 'councils need to provide clearer budget information and work with communities to determine how services will be delivered in the future' - although he added 'these conversations won't be easy'. Mr Yule also warned: 'With public finances tightening, however, not all cost increases faced by councils can be met by Government funding. 'Local action is needed now to find solutions to immediate and future financial challenges. This means difficult decisions on what services can be delivered and making major changes in how they are delivered.' The report also told how councils are due to make 'around £210 million of approved savings' in 2025-26, with this including £68 million of savings from corporate services and £58 million from children's services. Cosla resources spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said the report was 'further evidence of the financial constraint under which councils are operating'. Ms Hagmann said: 'Despite an improved settlement for 2025-26, the stark reality is that local authorities continue to face persistent financial pressures that far outstrip the resources available to them. 'Rising inflation, increased costs resulting from higher employer national insurance contributions and pay, and ever-growing demand on vital services like social care are pushing local budgets to the breaking point. 'Councils have worked tirelessly to protect the services that matter most - such as schools, roads, housing, and supports for vulnerable people, to name but a few - yet the gap between what is needed and what is available continues to widen. 'Years of these mounting pressures have left councils with no alternative but to make extremely difficult decisions to close this year's budget gap of around £647 million.' Politicians of all stripes turned their fire on the SNP government in Holyrood following the Accounts Commission findings. The Scottish Government responded to criticism. A spokesperson said: 'This report confirms that the Scottish Government provided a real-terms increase in funding for local government in 2025-26, building on continued increases in recent years. 'The Scottish Government will continue to work in partnership with local government to address the challenges facing council budgets and ensure we are operating sustainable people centred public services that communities expect and deserve.'
Edinburgh Live
22-05-2025
- Business
- Edinburgh Live
Warning West Lothian council's £35m budget black hole is 'unsustainable'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info West Lothian Council's finance chief has warned the funding crisis facing the local authority is 'of a magnitude never experienced before.' The Accounts Commission today said watchdogs are warning local authorities will face 'difficult decisions on what services can be delivered' after reports Scottish council's face a near £1 billion black hole in the next two years. In West Lothian the budget gap is reportedly £35m - and the council leader said the situation is 'unsustainable'. West Lothian has had to cut more than £200m from its budgets since 2007. The Accounts Commission said for this year, the budget gap between the country's 32 local authorities stands at £647 million – up £52 million from 2024-25. This comes despite councils receiving £15.2 billion from the Scottish Government in the budget for 2025-26 – with the amount of cash rising by 6% in real-terms. The Accounts Commission said: 'Councils are currently anticipating a cumulative revenue budget gap of £997 million over the next two years.' The hike in employers' national insurance contributions is also impacting councils, with local government body Cosla saying this could cost £370 million a year – more than double the £144 million provided by the Scottish Government towards the rise. Council leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick said: 'Due to insufficient funding from the Scottish Government the council has a budget gap of £35 million over the next three years, with us having to make nearly £12 million of savings this year alone. "By 2028 the West Lothian Council will have had to make budget savings of over £207 million.' 'These are the stark facts and the pain is felt across all Scottish councils. 'The gap between what funding we receive and what services we are expected to deliver is significant and it is an unsustainable situation. 'The growing demand for service set against a backdrop of insufficient levels of funding means we are at breaking point. Councils are in an impossible situation in terms of what is expected of us and the services we provide, and our ability to provide them.' Kenneth Ribbons, West Lothian's Interim Head of Finance and Property Services said: 'The continuing financial crisis facing local government is of a magnitude never experienced before. "Increases in Scottish Government funding fall well short of the funding required to stabilise finances as is the case with all Scottish Local Authorities. That is clearly highlighted by the Accounts Commission. 'The scale of the financial challenges are of such a level that this additional funding does not fully address the substantial and ever increasing cost of delivering services to our local communities. This is particularly the case in relation to delivering health and social care services. "COSLA has emphasised that the additional funding only provides a real terms protection and is not an increase that will reverse the impact of many years of budget reductions and flat cash settlements.' Councils across Scotland increased council tax for 2025-26 to help with their finances – with rises ranging from 6% in South Lanarkshire to 15.6% in Falkirk. In West Lothian Council Tax rose to 8.95% However the Accounts Commission said higher bills for local people means 'there is greater expectation on the performance of local services'. Accounts Commission member Derek Yule warned of a 'growing expectation gap' for authorities. He said: 'Councils don't have enough money to meet current demand, at a time when local communities are being asked to contribute more through increases in council tax and charges for some services.' As a result, Mr Yule said 'councils need to provide clearer budget information and work with communities to determine how services will be delivered in the future' – although he added 'these conversations won't be easy'. Mr Yule also warned: 'With public finances tightening, however, not all cost increases faced by councils can be met by Government funding. 'Local action is needed now to find solutions to immediate and future financial challenges. This means difficult decisions on what services can be delivered and making major changes in how they are delivered.' The report also told how councils are due to make 'around £210 million of approved savings' in 2025-26, with this including £68 million of savings from corporate services and £58 million from children's services. Cosla resources spokesperson Councillor Katie Hagmann said the report was 'further evidence of the financial constraint under which councils are operating'. Ms Hagmann said: 'Despite an improved settlement for 2025-26, the stark reality is that local authorities continue to face persistent financial pressures that far outstrip the resources available to them. 'Rising inflation, increased costs resulting from higher employer national insurance contributions and pay, and ever-growing demand on vital services like social care are pushing local budgets to the breaking point. 'Councils have worked tirelessly to protect the services that matter most – such as schools, roads, housing, and supports for vulnerable people, to name but a few – yet the gap between what is needed and what is available continues to widen. 'Years of these mounting pressures have left councils with no alternative but to make extremely difficult decisions to close this year's budget gap of around £647 million.' Politicians of all stripes turned their fire on the SNP government in Holyrood following the Accounts Commission findings. The Scottish Government responded to criticism. A spokesperson said: 'This report confirms that the Scottish Government provided a real-terms increase in funding for local government in 2025-26, building on continued increases in recent years. 'The Scottish Government will continue to work in partnership with local government to address the challenges facing council budgets and ensure we are operating sustainable people centred public services that communities expect and deserve.'
Scottish Sun
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Scottish Sun
Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer
The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city MOTOR MAYHEM Closure of major Glasgow road which could bring traffic to a standstill edges closer TRAFFIC could be brought to a standstill on a major Glasgow road due to strike action by control room workers. Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel. 3 Around 65,000 motorists a day travel through the Clyde Tunnel Credit: Alamy 3 Traffic could be brought to a standstill due to strike action by control room workers Credit: Alamy The road is vital to people commuting through Scotland's busiest city. It links the north and south sides of Glasgow and is near the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. But the busy route faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action. The team of ten are based in the city's Whiteinch and are responsible for monitoring cameras, controlling ventilation and responding to breakdowns and emergencies on the road. The GMB union, which represents most of the workers, previously rejected a three per cent pay rise from council umbrella body Cosla. They also called on the Scottish government to provide councils with extra funding. The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close. Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers. He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute. He said: "Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers. First new road bridge crossing River Clyde in 20 years opens to drivers TODAY "The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services. "The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members. "Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption." He added: "The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay." GMB union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5 per cent. It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96 per cent of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the three per cent pay offer. Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel. "The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla." A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "The Scottish Government has no formal role in these negotiations. "However, we urge all parties involved to work together constructively and reach an agreement which is fair for the workforce and affordable for employers." A spokesperson for Cosla told the BBC the body was disappointed by the move to industrial action, and that there "remains a gap between what local government can fund from its own resources and union aspirations."
Leader Live
19-05-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Clyde Tunnel ‘could close' as workers vote to strike for better pay
The Clyde Tunnel in Glasgow, relied upon by around 65,000 drivers a day, faces disruption as control room staff have unanimously backed industrial action. A team of 10 staff based in the city's Whiteinch are responsible for monitoring the tunnel's CCTV system, ensuring it is safe for drivers who use it to cross beneath the River Clyde. They also control ventilation and respond to breakdowns among other emergencies. GMB Scotland said their members in the team backed strike action after Cosla offered a 3% pay increase, which workers deemed too low. The union warned that if the workers strike, the tunnel, which connects the north and south of Glasgow, may be forced to close. Keir Greenaway, senior organiser in public services for GMB Scotland, said the tunnel staff were the first to vote in a strategic campaign of industrial action to secure an improved offer for all council workers. He encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with Cosla to resolve the dispute. He said: 'Council workers have again been forced to fight for fair pay while watching others in the public sector, NHS Scotland, for example, being made acceptable offers. 'The everyday lives of millions of Scots rest on the shoulders of local authority staff and they will not be treated as the poor relations in our public services. 'The team at the Clyde Tunnel keep Scotland's biggest city moving, only one example of the essential services delivered by our members. 'Without their expertise and experience, one of the country's most important roads could close with untold disruption.' He added: 'The current offer adds pennies to the hourly rate paid to the lowest-paid staff, and it is beyond time for ministers to seriously engage with Cosla and the unions to deliver fair pay.' Starting with the proposed Clyde Tunnel strike, the union is now planning strategic action to get workers a £1 an hour increase or 6.5%. It comes after a consultative ballot from all of GMB Scotland's council members said 96% of voters backed walkouts if Cosla refuses to improve the 3% pay offer. Strike dates have yet to be announced, but it is understood at least two weeks' notice must be given to the council ahead of industrial action. A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: 'We are aware of this ballot result but we have received no formal notification of the intention to take industrial action in relation to the Clyde Tunnel. 'The ballot was held in relation to the national pay negotiations for local authorities, which are managed at a national level through Cosla.' The Scottish Government Glasgow City Council were approached for comment.
