By David Scott
4 March 2010
Scotland’s first minister has warned the UK government that it must not impose further spending cuts on the country or it will seriously damage services and economic recovery.
Alex Salmond told council leaders at the annual conference of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in St Andrews on March 3 that his government ‘will not sit idly by and accept cuts imposed from Westminster’.
He added: ‘Scotland’s local authorities and public bodies are working hard to finalise their budgets, and further cuts could damage public services and Scotland’s economic recovery.’
Salmond said the Scottish Government was demanding that there be no reopening of the 2010/11 spending plans. He pointed out that council representatives, including Cosla political group leaders, had made the same case.
He said: ‘Thus far, the response from Westminster parties has been evasive. We need clarity and stability over budgets.
‘Amid £500m of cuts that have already been imposed by the UK government, our recent budget was tailored to protect frontline public services and to support individuals and households suffering economic hardship.’
Salmond, who heads the minority Scottish National Party government at Holyrood, said the relationship between local and central government had never been stronger. It had led to policies such as the council tax freeze, the recruitment of more police and firefighters and tackling inequalities.
He said: ‘The historic concordat has offered local government the flexibility and responsibility to respond to local issues and this has helped councils support their communities through these challenging times.
‘The next few years will be tough for public spending, which is why maintaining strong bonds between national and local government is critical.’
In a pre-conference statement, Cosla president Pat Watters, a Labour councillor, said the next two Spending Review periods would be extremely difficult for the whole of the public sector and would require a longer-term strategy to balance the books.
4 March 2010
Scotland’s first minister has warned the UK government that it must not impose further spending cuts on the country or it will seriously damage services and economic recovery.
Alex Salmond told council leaders at the annual conference of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities in St Andrews on March 3 that his government ‘will not sit idly by and accept cuts imposed from Westminster’.
He added: ‘Scotland’s local authorities and public bodies are working hard to finalise their budgets, and further cuts could damage public services and Scotland’s economic recovery.’
Salmond said the Scottish Government was demanding that there be no reopening of the 2010/11 spending plans. He pointed out that council representatives, including Cosla political group leaders, had made the same case.
He said: ‘Thus far, the response from Westminster parties has been evasive. We need clarity and stability over budgets.
‘Amid £500m of cuts that have already been imposed by the UK government, our recent budget was tailored to protect frontline public services and to support individuals and households suffering economic hardship.’
Salmond, who heads the minority Scottish National Party government at Holyrood, said the relationship between local and central government had never been stronger. It had led to policies such as the council tax freeze, the recruitment of more police and firefighters and tackling inequalities.
He said: ‘The historic concordat has offered local government the flexibility and responsibility to respond to local issues and this has helped councils support their communities through these challenging times.
‘The next few years will be tough for public spending, which is why maintaining strong bonds between national and local government is critical.’
In a pre-conference statement, Cosla president Pat Watters, a Labour councillor, said the next two Spending Review periods would be extremely difficult for the whole of the public sector and would require a longer-term strategy to balance the books.
