04 April 2008
The leader of Scotland's local authorities has called on the Labour Party to 'communicate better at all levels'.
Pat Watters, president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, made his appeal at the Scottish Labour Party conference at Aviemore. He told delegates: 'We need to work better with our colleagues in Westminster and at Holyrood. We need better understanding, better communication and to move forward together.'
Watters is a Labour councillor, but the party has no overall control in Cosla. His plea for better communication at all levels of the Labour Party is seen as a desire for greater understanding about the problems of local government.
Some Labour politicians have been critical of Cosla for agreeing to a concordat that required a freeze on council tax and other commitments involving
co-operation with the Scottish National Party government.
At the conference, the Scottish Labour leader, Wendy Alexander, accused the SNP of ending the right of local government to raise its own revenues. She was among a number of leading speakers who voiced concern about spending cuts being imposed by councils following the council tax freeze.
Alexander said cuts were being imposed already despite the SNP having 'promised a freeze in the council tax without cutting services'.
Former finance minister Andy Kerr, Labour's local government spokesman, claimed that council services were being returned to the 'worst days' of the Thatcher government.
Referring to cuts imposed by councils in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and West Dunbartonshire, he said: 'These councils have returned us to the days of Thatcherism, with cuts and compulsory redundancies not seen since the 1980s.'
PFapr2008
