The City of Edinburgh Council benefitted from a nationwide increase of 2.7% in education spending last year, thanks to Scottish Government efforts to close the attainment gap and provide local authorities with a fair funding deal. Local MSP Ben Macpherson says that means a good deal for the city’s schoolchildren. Continue reading Schools spending boost for Edinburgh
Dear Editor
Cuts in funding for services affect people differently, most are appalled at the frequency and the damage it is doing to the local social fabric. But as always, it is those who are in need of services are denied them with all the consequences including further isolation within the community.
Pilton Equalities Project, an organisation in North Edinburgh, runs many services for local people, including :-
Five Day Care Clubs, Classes and Activities in Computer Training, Arts and Crafts, Classes in Literacy and Numeracy. Cooking, A Mental Health Issues Group Class
These activities are attended by approximately 200 people each week.
PEPs Minibuses pick up from and return people to their homes, all the buses are staffed with volunteer escorts. Up to 8o other volunteers help throughout the week with other activities.
Funding cuts from the Council or Scottish Parliament will hit the provision of these services and the very people who are in most need.
PEP makes every effort in appealing to various social and charitable organisations for grants to keep these vital services for local people going but it is not sustainable in the long run if funding cuts continue.
PEPs volunteers did 13,00 hours volunteering in 2016 for local people, adding greatly to the quality of life and indeed their health. As one of those volunteers, the reason for this letter is to raise public understanding of how serious are repeated cuts in funding for local services.
With the best will and efforts volunteers cannot operate on insufficient funding for their organisations.
A. Delahoy.
Silverknowes Gardens
The city council will sets it’s budget tomorrow. The meeting starts at 10am
It’s the blame game. Local government blames Holyrood for cuts to services. Holyrood blames Westminster. Westminster says it’s Holyrood’s fault – and so the cycle goes on. And on. And on. And while the various democratic structures pass the buck, communities continue to suffer – and, as ever, the poorest communities suffer most …
COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill said that Council Leaders had given COSLA a very clear message over the course of the last week that the Scottish Government have to treat local government fairly in tomorrow’s settlement announcement. Continue reading COSLA: give us a break
City of Edinburgh Council tenants’ views are being sought on the Housing Service’s five year improvement plan and 2017/18 budget.
Residents are being encouraged to attend a Question Time event being organised by the City of Edinburgh Council as part of wider engagement about changes to Council services.
Taking place in the City Chambers on Thursday, 10 November (7.15–8.30pm), the event is part of a seven week engagement period, asking people to play their part by giving their views through various channels including an online survey and dialogue page where residents can speak to other people in their local area.
The engagement period which started on Friday 30 September ends on Friday 18 November.
The event is being run in partnership with the Edinburgh Evening News for the third year running and will be chaired by Euan McGrory, Deputy Editor of the Evening News, Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday. Residents who are unable to attend can watch via the Council’s webcasting service.
Those attending will have the opportunity to submit questions in advance or ask questions on the night, which will be answered by a panel of six senior councillors. The panel will include Council Leader Cllr Andrew Burns; Deputy Leader Cllr Frank Ross; Finance and Resources Convener Cllr Alasdair Rankin; Culture and Sport Convener, Cllr Richard Lewis; Transport and Environment Convener, Cllr Lesley Hinds and Health and Social Care Convener, Cllr Ricky Henderson.
Cllr Alasdair Rankin, said: “We have an increasing population, inflationary pressures, decreased budgets and greater demand for our services so it is really important that we get residents’ views on how we can more efficiently deliver services.
“We’ve had an excellent response to our Question Time event over the last two years and I would encourage residents to attend and take the opportunity to have their questions answered about our services in person.
“Of course, for those that can’t make it, they can tune in live and ask questions, via the Council’s website.”
Last year’s event was well attended with an additional 237 tuning in live via our webcast and was subsequently watched by 3,759 people via the archive.
Further information on wider engagement:
Social media – use the #playyourpart
Email – playyourpart@edinburgh.gov.uk
Phone – 0131 200 2305 (8.30am to 5pm Monday to Thursday, 8.30am to 3.40pm Friday)
Write – Freepost, RSJC-SLXC-YTJY, Budget, Council Leader, City Chambers, High Street Edinburgh EH1 1YJ
Yesterdays’ Budget statement was a perplexing mix of measures and raft of tax changes which pleased some and angered many more. Supporters hailed the budget as ‘historic’ but Labour leader Jeremy Corbin said the budget ‘has unfairness at its very core – paid for by those who can least afford it’ and the SNP’s John Swinney warned of ‘hidden cuts’. Continue reading Budget: sweet and sour for Scotland
North Edinburgh activists urge: reject the budget cuts!
North Edinburgh’s Power to the People adult education group is among the many deputations who will be urging councillors to think again at this morning’s budget meeting. This is what they plan to say: Continue reading Death by a thousand cuts
City council leader says the Scottish government must act to change ‘broken’ local government funding system
Edinburgh’s 58 councillors will vote through cuts of £85 million at tomorrow’s budget meeting. Billed as the deepest cuts in living memory, thousands of jobs will be lost and key services will be slashed. Who’s responsible for Edinburgh’s budget crisis? Council leader ANDREW BURNS says local government funding is to blame and he’s urging the Scottish Government to ‘let go’. Continue reading Andrew Burns: don’t blame us!
