The Scottish National Party government has promised to work in constructive partnership with Scotland’s newly elected councils, in spite of a series of local coalition deals by the unionist parties to keep the SNP out of power.
Finance Secretary John Swinney announced yesterday that he and local government minister Derek Mackay were looking to meet the leaders of all Scotland’s 32 unitary councils in a round of visits next month. He said this would refresh the partnership approach that he believed had worked to the benefit of Scotland over the past five years.
The aim of the meetings, he said, would be to discuss shared priorities. ‘A strong partnership between the Scottish Government and local government is central to improving quality of life and delivering economic growth throughout Scotland in the tight public sector spending environment,’ Swinney said.
‘Over the past five years, that partnership has given local authorities new financial freedoms to address local issues and we have worked together to sustain our economy, to support older people, to clean up communities and to drive up standards in our schools.’
The emollient tone of Swinney’s statement follows SNP anger over its exclusion from power in some councils as a result of coalition deals. The party emerged from the May 3 local elections as Scotland’s biggest in terms of both seats and first preference votes but this has not been reflected in the leadership of councils.
The party is especially incensed with Labour, which has joined forces with the Conservatives – long the pariahs of Scottish politics – in councils like Stirling, Falkirk, South Ayrshire and Aberdeen, rather than let the SNP into office, even where the SNP is the biggest group on the council.
Only in Edinburgh, where a Labour-SNP coalition replaces the previous Liberal Democrat-SNP administration, have Scotland’s two major parties managed to agree to work together. It reflects the growing domination of all Scottish politics by the independence debate.
Yet Swinney is determined to maintain his co-operative approach with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, which has resulted in agreement on council tax freezes, new spending demarcations, protection for council tax benefit and an enhanced role for community planning.
His statement also laid heavy emphasis on the continued reform of public service provision, through shared services and the breaking down of institutional barriers in fields such as health and social care.
