More cash for councils as Greens make their presence felt at Holyrood
The City of Edinburgh Council will receive a significant increase in its funding to the tune of £12.4m after the Scottish Greens secured an agreement for the government to amend the 2018-19 budget. The Greens’ agreement will see £170m more for local council services throughout Scotland, a reversal of all of the £157m of local government cuts proposed by the SNP.
Details of the deal, revealed at Holyrood today, will be good news for people in Edinburgh, with 73,000 more public sector workers in Scotland such as nurses and teachers getting a pay rise. Anyone receiving less than the average wage will pay no or less income tax and the SNP’s proposed tax cut for high earners is now cancelled.
Alison Johnstone MSP says the agreement to amend the 2018-19 budget and include key Green demands is proof that the Scottish Greens are leading the change in Scottish politics.
She said: “This deal is just the latest example of Greens leading the change in Scottish politics, from shifting the SNP and Labour’s positions on income tax toward a fairer structure and securing a ban on fracking. Last year we stopped the cuts; this year we’ve pushed the government even further and delivered a real-terms increase in funding for City of Edinburgh Council.
“Greens stand firmly with local communities and public sector workers affected by years of cuts and closures and I’m proud that we’ve won an additional £12.4m of funding for City of Edinburgh Council.
“While other parties continue to posture from the sidelines, Greens are making Edinburgh and Scotland fairer. This agreement is the latest step in a journey on restoring financial powers at local level, on which we will need to see far more progress before next year’s budget, as the annual fight against council cuts must not continue.”
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