Joint letter from Education Secretary and teaching union
Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth and General Secretary of EIS Andrea Bradley have written a joint letter to all council leaders, urging them to take the decisions needed to avoid industrial action.
The letter states:
“We are writing to you ahead of tomorrow’s Cosla Leaders meeting to urge you to take the decisions needed to avoid industrial action and to join us in implementing a reduction in class contact time (RCCT). Both Scottish Ministers and the EIS have now signed up to the plans to implement the 90- minute RCCT across Scotland that you will be considering tomorrow. It has taken a lot of intensive work to get to this point.
“It is clear that an agreement can now be reached that would see RCCT implemented by August 2027 in Primary and Special Schools, and by August 2029 in Secondary. This phased approach is intended to give councils the time and capacity required to manage recruitment and local planning effectively, and the Scottish Government and teacher unions will work with you to assist in that task.”
A new plan to reduce deaths and harms caused by alcohol and drugs has been published.
The joint Scottish Government and COSLA plan aims to improve collaboration between government and grassroots delivery with a locally-led, accountable system, guided by clear national direction and support.
Backed by more than £160 million in 2026-27, the plan builds on the Scottish Government’s five-year National Mission on Drugs which ends in April.
A key priority is to expand treatment standards to include alcohol and all drugs. It has a renewed focus on prevention, withspecific measuresto stop people from developing problem alcohol and drug use. It also maintains support for residential rehabilitation with a focus on improving pathways through detox, crisis care and stabilisation.
The plan is underpinned by a human-rights based approach. This ensures that people with first-hand experience help shape the design and delivery of services and receive person-centred support.
Speaking at the Haven residential rehabilitation service, which has received £600,000 for eight additional beds, Drugs and Alcohol Policy Minister Maree Todd said: “The last five years have seen record investment in alcohol and drugs services, with significant progress, but we want to do more. This plan marks the next phase in our response to tackling alcohol and drug harms.
“We are already widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone, and Glasgow hosts the UK’s first Safer Drug Consumption Facility. As we respond to new challenges – including an increasingly toxic drugs supply – this plan refocuses our efforts in a more co-ordinated and sustainable way.
“As a joint Scottish Government and COSLA initiative, this plan will strengthen national and local partnership working so that people can receive the right help when and where they need it.”
The plan is aimed at preventing initial harm and supporting long-term recovery and wellbeing and focuses on four interconnected areas:
· prevention and early intervention
· harm reduction
· treatment and care
· the wider circle of support.
Priorities include strengthening local delivery, supporting the voluntary sector and workforce and improving data, research and evidence.
COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson Councillor Paul Kelly said: “Far too many individuals and families continue to be affected by drugs and alcohol harms. We need to do everything we can to support people, which requires us to work across spheres of government.
“Bringing local and national government together for the first time in this way represents a step change in how we plan and deliver support for people affected by drugs and alcohol.
“Local government works closely with our communities, across a range of preventative services, and has strong local knowledge of the challenges our communities face.
“No single service can respond to the ongoing challenge of drugs and alcohol harms. It is only by working in partnership, investing sustainably in vital supports and through the co-ordinated efforts of the whole system, that we prevent issues before they arise and support people to sustain recovery.”
The Haven Chief Executive Gary Lister said: “Through its holistic, recovery-focused programme, The Haven supports individuals to rebuild their lives, restore family relationships and move towards long-term recovery.
“The Scottish Government’s support for the current expansion of the facility — including eight additional residential beds and enhanced living spaces — will help ensure more people can access the safe, structured support they need to begin that journey.”
Paul Waterson, SAIP Chair said: “The Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership is committed to promoting responsible consumption and tackling harmful drinking. The data show that progress is being made in tackling harmful consumption, but more needs to be done.
“Scotland has had in place for many years a wide-ranging whole population approach. What is needed to make further progress is greater focus and more action to deliver targeted interventions such as community alcohol partnerships, and a greater use of assertive outreach.
“We welcome the commitment to engagement with business and industry on the alcohol harm prevention plan to be published later in 2026.”
COSLA has launched Working Towards Achieving a More Balanced Population in Scotland, the first in a series of white papers to be published in advance of the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.
Scottish councils are facing increasingly complex and deeply rooted population challenges, and COSLA is calling for urgent, coordinated action to address them.
This paper provides a detailed examination of these issues and sets out practical recommendations across key policy areas to support a more sustainable and balanced population.
Launching the paper, COSLA described achieving population balance as a central priority for Scottish local government.
With some areas experiencing rapid growth, others facing significant depopulation, and many managing both pressures simultaneously within their boundaries, the need for strategic intervention has never been greater.
COSLA has today launched 'Working Towards Achieving a More Balanced Population in Scotland', the first in a series of white papers to be published.
COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, said:“I am delighted to be launching our population white paper today.
“Achieving a more balanced population is a priority for Scottish Local Government and COSLA, and it is imperative that this remains a priority for the new Scottish Government administration following the election.
“Our white paper highlights the diverse population challenges faced by councils across Scotland, from those that are experiencing rapid population growth, to those facing critical depopulation, as well as the many dealing with both challenges within their council area. It proposes recommendations across three key priority areas: economy, workforce and jobs; housing; and transport.
“Scottish councils are best placed to lead population balance efforts but require support from both Scottish and UK Government to achieve our aims.
“We are calling on our national politicians to commit to working with us to implement the recommendations that we have set out today.”
The EIS has issued formal 10-day notice of its intention to call its members to take industrial action over workload.
The industrial action will include national days of strike action, additional days of strike action in key target areas, and an ongoing national programme of Action Short of Strike (ASOS).
The issuing of 10-day notice is a legal requirement, and must be issued before any industrial action can commence. The issuing of notice does not compel the EIS to undertake strike action, but enables it to call its members out should a resolution to the dispute not be achieved within the next 10 days.
Whilst the EIS recognises the progress in negotiations made in the last 24 hours, following this week’s EIS statutory ballot result, a firm agreement from the Scottish Government and COSLA to work together to deliver past promises on teacher workload and jobs, has not been forthcoming.
Commenting, EIS General Secretary Andrea Bradley said, “In issuing these formal notices of the intent to commence industrial action, the EIS is complying with the legal requirement to give notice of such action.
“This allows us to keep our options open, within the confines of current trade union law, and retain the option to call on our members to take industrial action, should it be required to ensure a resolution to this long-running dispute.
“Some progress has been made in the past 24 hours but so far, we have nothing in writing to reflect the commitment of the Scottish Government and COSLA to deliver on past promises.”
Ms Bradley continued, “The EIS remains fully committed to seeking a negotiated solution to this dispute, and will remain available in the coming days and before the closing of this 10-day window for meaningful discussion with the Scottish Government and local authority employers, through COSLA.
“We would urge those other parties to use this window wisely, and to move swiftly to ensure that an agreement can be reached to end this dispute, in the best interests of learners and teachers across Scotland.”
Ms Bradley added, “What we need to see from the Scottish Government and COSLA is surety over what they are offering to teachers. “After five years of waiting, and more than a year in dispute, Scotland’s teachers and the EIS will expect to see a firm and binding commitment, in writing and signed by all parties, before we are willing to remove the prospect of industrial action being undertaken in Scotland’s schools.”
Further information on the specific planned dates for industrial action will be issued next week.
Responding to the EIS announcement that the teachers’ union has received a mandate for industrial action over teacher workload, Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Resources Spokesperson said:“COSLA notes the outcome of the EIS ballot for industrial action about reducing the weekly time teachers spend delivering lessons. With Scottish Government, COSLA continue to engage with the unions on the subject.
“Industrial action is in nobody’s interests, and we urge unions to work with COSLA and Scottish Government to find a solution all parties can agree rather that threaten to disrupt education at this crucial time of year.
“We recognise that supporting teachers is essential. However, this needs to be facilitated in a way that ensures a positive impact on outcomes for children and young people.
“COSLA remains committed to constructive engagement with the Scottish Government and teaching unions through the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT) on the implementation of the Ministerial commitment to reduce class contact time.
“Concerns about the financial and practical implications of this policy remain. RCCT cannot be delivered without full funding and a clear understanding of its impact on children and young people.”
WHEN we talk health and social care in Scotland, the debate tends to orbit big numbers and long-term policy frameworks (writes Councillor PAUL KELLY, COSLA Spokesperson for Health and Social Care) .
But from where I sit, speaking to councils and communities every day, the reality is far more immediate. It’s about people waiting longer for help, care workers stretched too thin, and a system close to burnout.
The £750 million COSLA is calling for isn’t a throwaway figure. It’s what’s needed just to stabilise social care and start rebuilding confidence, and right now, integration authorities are staring down a half-billion-pound deficit. That’s not theoretical. It means fewer care packages, longer waits, and more families left in limbo.
We can’t keep papering over the cracks. Care isn’t a luxury – it’s the infrastructure that allows people to live with dignity in their homes and communities and if we fail to fund it properly, we’re choosing crisis over prevention every time.
I’ve seen what good looks like, councils across Scotland are proving that when local partners are trusted, empowered and resourced, they deliver. Hospital admissions go down, delayed discharges drop and people get to stay in their homes, with the right support around them.
But the truth is, those successes are happening despite the system, not because of it.
Short sighted one-year budgets force local authorities into short-term firefighting, providers can’t plan, good staff leave for more stable work elsewhere.
The same goes for prevention, everyone talks about it but few fund it. Yet we’ve known since the Christie Commission in 2011 that unless we shift spending upstream, public services will buckle under the weight of demand. Fourteen years later, the shift still hasn’t happened.
The result? Hospitals are under strain, community are services stretched, and the most vulnerable people keep falling through the cracks. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Across Scotland, local authorities are already delivering services that tackle inequality at the source. From mental health and suicide prevention work to alcohol and drug partnerships, councils are embedded in the places where support makes the most difference, but they’re doing it with one hand tied behind their backs.
The evidence is clear, outcomes improve when decisions are made locally and in partnership with communities, we need government to match that ambition, not with more centralisation, but with trust, flexibility and proper funding at local democracy level.
If we want to get serious about health inequalities, that starts with recognising that most of the determinants of health – housing, transport, education, employment – sit within the remit of local government and you can’t improve population health without improving people’s lives.
So, here’s the ask: fund social care properly. Commit to multi-year budgets, back prevention, and most importantly, hand decision-making power back to local communities.
If we keep waiting for someone in the centre to fix this, we’ll still be having this conversation in ten year’s time, and the system will be in a worse place.
Local government is ready to lead, it just needs the tools to do the job.
COSLA is urging Members of the Scottish Parliament to support the passage of the Bill to incorporate the European Charter of Local Self-Government into Scots law, describing it as a historic opportunity to strengthen democracy, empower communities, and improve outcomes across Scotland.
Incorporation of the Charter would, for the first time, establish a clear legal framework for the relationship between national and local government, helping ensure decisions are taken as close as possible to the people they affect. It would also bring Scotland into line with other members of the Council of Europe, where the Charter’s principles are already embedded in domestic law.
Council leaders across Scotland have already expressed unanimous support for the Bill and believe its passage will help ensure local government can continue to play its full role in improving lives and reducing inequalities.
It would also strengthen the rights of local people to participate in decisions and help embed partnership working at the heart of Scotland’s governance.
Cllr Shona Morrison, President of COSLA, said: “This Bill represents a vital step forward for Scotland’s democracy and for the communities we serve. Incorporating the Charter into law will help ensure decisions are taken at the right level and that councils have the powers, flexibility and recognition they need to deliver the best possible outcomes for local people.
“Council leaders across Scotland have emphasised that the Bill would help modernise how governments work together, ensuring local authorities have the independence, flexibility and recognition they need to deliver for their communities.
“It will strengthen partnership working between national and local government, protect the rights of communities, and bring Scotland into line with international democratic standards.
“I would urge all MSPs, from across the political spectrum, to support the passage of this important legislation and help secure lasting benefits for Scotland’s people and places.”
Integration Joint Boards (IJBs), together with their NHS and council partners, must urgently take decisions on where to redesign, reduce or discontinue services.
Funding to Scotland’s 30 IJBs increased by over two per cent in 2024/25 to more than £12 billion. But this was insufficient to meet rising costs and demands, with many IJBs using dwindling reserves to help meet the almost £450 million gap between demand and available funding. This is not sustainable.
Increasing demand, rising costs and a growing number of people with long-term complex needs are placing mounting financial pressures on IJBs. The boards have reached a critical point, with a significant risk they will become financially unsustainable within the next 12 to 24 months.
Alongside savings and using reserves, IJBs have been relying on substantial additional funding from their partners in the NHS and councils. IJBs need to plan their finances more realistically to reduce this reliance, as health boards and councils face their own significant financial pressures.
Malcolm Bell, member of the Accounts Commission said: “The cost of delivering services is rising faster than available funding.
“Tackling this could include difficult decisions about redesigning or reducing services, and whether new or additional charges need to be made. Whatever decisions are made, service users, their families and wider communities must be consulted.
“But without radical change the services delivered by IJBs can’t be sustained. The gap between funding available and the cost of meeting demand is widening, and the gap of nearly £450 million cannot be bridged with savings alone.”
COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson, Councillor Paul Kelly, commented: “The Accounts Commission report on Integration Joint Board finances for 2024-25 confirms the stark reality our Health and Social Care Partnerships face: that severe financial challenges continue to pose a risk to the sustainability of social care, which threatens the every day lives of our most vulnerable citizens and communities.
“The challenges also threaten the sustainability of our councils, who have continued to prioritise social care, with an additional £163m invested over and above Scottish Government funding in 2024-25. This level of additional funding is unsustainable for partners, but in many cases the only option given the diminishment of reserves held by Partnerships.
“The report makes clear the validity and need for our budget lobbying ask of an immediate investment of £750m in social care. We will continue to press the Scottish Government for this investment to avoid further cuts, reductions and increased charges in future.”
COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison, has released the following statement:
“COSLA is concerned to see increasing levels of toxic online behaviour and abuse directed towards Scotland’s elected members, particularly in the wake of Councils setting their budgets and council tax levels for the year.
“Councillors across Scotland are dedicated public servants carrying out their democratic duties on behalf of their communities. They deserve to do so free from intimidation, harassment, or personal attack.
“Budget decisions are taken locally, transparently, and with great care by councillors who have their communities’ best interests at heart and who work tirelessly to protect essential local services under financial constraint.
“Public debate and scrutiny are vital components of our democracy but abuse, intimidation, and targeted harassment have no place in that discussion.
“COSLA urges all individuals and organisations to engage respectfully, and to recognise that councillors are making incredibly difficult decisions as they work to safeguard essential local services within a national funding landscape that remains extremely challenging.
“In a world that feels increasingly fractured, building trust in our democracy is rooted in how we treat each other and to that end we welcome robust and open debate and discussion while remaining respectful.”
Edinburgh’s Budget Meeting will take place on Thursday (26 February).
The Scottish Government has launched a new five‑week public awareness campaign encouraging boys and young men to think before sharing or engaging with misogynistic content online.
The campaign highlights the real‑life harm such content causes to women and girls, including those known to them. The campaign was developed with the support of a steering group of VAWG experts and cocreated with young people.
The campaign includes tailored messages for young people across Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch and YouTube, and resources for parents to understand the scale and impact of online misogyny and support conversations at home.
COSLA welcomes this campaign as a concrete expression of our shared commitment with the Scottish Government to challenge the attitudes and systems that enable misogyny and wider gender‑based violence.
The campaign aligns with Equally Safe’s focus on engaging men and boys as allies in preventing violence against women and girls and helping shift harmful online and offline attitudes.
COSLA’s Community Wellbeing Spokesperson, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, welcomed the new national campaign tackling online misogyny, commenting: “Young people deserve to be safe online and offline.
“By amplifying these messages locally Local Government plays a vital role in preventing harm, challenging harmful attitudes and supporting Equally Safe communities.”
All assets, including links to information supporting healthy conversations with young people and links to videos and other supporting materials can be accessed here: Tackling Misogyny Campaign Toolkit
Whilst councils have made significant savings, the cost of delivering services is rising faster than available funding. This risks the financial sustainability of councils over the next three to five years, says public spending watchdog.
Although Scottish Government funding to councils has been increasing, this hasn’t kept pace with rising costs and demand. Councils are overspending on delivering services and borrowing more.
In its latest update on council finances, the Accounts Commission report that councils face a budget gap of nearly £1 billion by 2027.
In 2024/25, councils met 90 per cent of their savings targets. But for the first time in six years, they reported a collective overspend on the costs of delivering services. Debt levels are increasing. Many are relying on reserves.
Whilst councils are increasing the amount of money they raise through fees and charges, income generated isn’t keeping pace with rising costs and inflation.
With Scottish Government funding to deliver capital projects falling, councils are also taking on more debt to deliver local infrastructure projects such as building schools and housing.
Derek Yule, member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Despite increased funding and income, councils are struggling to cope with the financial pressures they face. A growing gap between costs to deliver services and funding available is risking the financial sustainability of councils.
“We’re already seeing the impact on services – the pace of improvement is slowing, some services are being cut or are harder to access and there are growing levels of dissatisfaction from communities. Councils must fundamentally reconfigure how they operate and deliver services.”
Commenting on the report, Cllr Ricky Bell, COSLA Spokesperson for Resources, said: “While we acknowledge increases in uncommitted funding in the local government settlement, today’s report reinforces the message that local government finances are under severe and growing strain.
“Councils have worked hard to manage budgets responsibly, delivering significant savings year on year and meeting the vast majority of savings targets. However, there is a clear limit to what can be achieved without impacting the services communities rely on. Increasing reliance on reserves, borrowing and fees and charges is not a sustainable long-term solution.
“As we look ahead to 2026/27, the budget settlement falls far short of what is needed to sustain essential local services without difficult decisions being made locally.
“We are especially concerned by the continued underfunding of social care and the Real Living Wage across portfolios.
“The medium-term outlook for local government is deeply concerning, with continued de-prioritisation and the prospect of significant real-terms cuts. If councils are to remain financially sustainable and continue delivering for communities, there must be a more honest conversation about funding, priorities and local flexibility.
“Urgent action is needed to ensure councils have the resources and certainty required to support Scotland’s people and places now and in the future.”
