Tag: SNP

Green light for Scottish budget

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes has reached an agreement with the Scottish Green Party to ensure the passage of the Scottish Government’s budget.

The final agreement will increased support for young people, police, climate action and local government.

Thanking all who took part in discussions, Ms Forbes said that while she had reached agreement with the Scottish Greens, the budget delivered on key issues raised by all parties in the parliament and called on all MSPs to unite behind the budget today (Thursday).

The agreement which builds on key Scottish Government commitments to invest £15 billion in health and care services, deliver a child poverty payment and to expand early learning and childcare, will:

  • deliver a National Concessionary Travel scheme offering free bus travel for 18s and under. The Scottish Government will undertake work on design and due diligence with a view to introducing such a scheme in January 2021
  • ensure a total uplift for the police service of £60 million in the next financial year with £13 million of additional investment in frontline services and a further £5 million of additional capital investment, on top of the £42 million already committed
  • support local services with £95 million of further funding for local government, taking total additional Scottish Government support for local authorities to £589 million

To further support Scotland’s efforts to end our contribution to climate change a £45 million package of investment in low carbon projects has been agreed including:

  • £25 million of additional investment in local energy efficiency projects
  • £15 million for local authority investment in active travel, taking the total investment in active transport in the next financial year to £100 million
  • £5 million to further develop options for enhanced rail services

As part of the agreement, the Scottish Government has confirmed that the Infrastructure Investment Plan, which will be published later this year, will be aligned with the Infrastructure Commission’s call for all future projects to be compatible with the Scottish Government’s net zero target and the Climate Change Act.

Confirming the agreement, Ms Forbes said: “I am pleased to have reached an agreement to pass the Scottish budget and deliver certainty for communities, businesses and our vital public services – especially in face of the uncertainty created by the UK Government’s decision to delay its budget.

“I want to thank all parties for the constructive way in which they have approached this year’s discussions. While it is not possible to meet every party’s demands in full, I believe in reaching formal agreement with the Green Party, I am also delivering on key asks from every party and I encourage all MSPs to consider giving their support to Scotland’s budget.

“This budget invests a record £15 billion in health and care services, delivers Scotland’s unique child payment to lift our youngest out of poverty, transfers £3 billion of social security spending, supports our efforts to tackle the climate crisis and the creation of a Scottish National Investment Bank.

“The Scottish Government had already backed Police Scotland with a budget increase of £42 million. We will now increase that support to £60 million overall with £50 million of investment for frontline services.

“And we will deliver in full the support Cosla and others have asked for with £95 million for local government.

“We have made significant investments to tackle the climate crisis, with funding for a green deal, low carbon travel and £1.8 billion of low carbon infrastructure.

“To further increase our action to tackle climate change and to support young people across Scotland, we will take steps to introduce a National Concessionary Travel scheme providing free bus travel for Scotland’s 18s and under.

“We will begin the work now to ensure such a scheme is legally compliant and that it meets young people’s needs with the aim of introducing it from January 2021. Alongside the £500 million bus infrastructure fund, this will help deliver a step change in the use of public transport.

“I will also increase funding for walking, cycling and safer streets to £100 million for the first time and boost support for energy efficiency measures as part of our focus on reaching net-zero.

“When I presented the budget I said that every penny had been spent and that remains the case. In the absence of proposals to change spending, this additional investment will be funded through limited amounts of underspend, taking a multi-year approach to issues around non-domestic rates without impacting on local authority revenues, and additional consequentials from the fossil fuel levy. While this increases the financial exposure of the government it ensures that social security payments can be made and public services properly funded.”

The Scottish Greens say free bus travel for young people is a ‘transformational step’ towards tackling the climate emergency.

Young people aged 18 and under are set to get free bus travel in Scotland, thanks to the Scottish Green Party.

The Scottish Government has agreed to work to implement free bus travel for young people in Scotland, in a major win for the Scottish Greens as part of the Scottish budget process.

This means from 2021 young people across Scotland should be able to travel for free on bus routes, in a similar way to the entitlement currently held by over-60s.

The budget deal also puts an additional £95m towards local services across Scotland such as schools and libraries.

Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie said: “Free bus travel for young people is a transformational step towards tackling the climate emergency. This scheme will benefit young people starting college and families, some of whom stand to save thousands of pounds a year, and encourage whole generations of public transport users.

“Buses are the backbone of local public transport and the key to employment and training opportunities for so many of those starting out in life.

“Yet again it’s the Scottish Greens who have engaged constructively in the budget process to deliver for communities in Scotland. 

Clearly, a Green budget would do even more to tackle the climate emergency, but securing this important free bus travel deal for the next generation builds on the powers we won for local councils to take control of local bus services. It is the Scottish Greens who are leading the change.

“And as we have done in every year we have struck a deal, the Greens have prioritised funding for local government, securing an additional £95m for libraries, schools and other local services.”

As part of the deal, Scottish Greens have also secured additional funding for vital low carbon capital projects across Scotland, including commitments to explore reopening the Dunfermline to Alloa rail link and improve the Milngavie rail line, increasing the cycling and walking budget to £100m and £13m for community safety and crime prevention.

Widening free bus travel to those 18 and under is estimated to cost around £60m a year from 2020:  

–    A student travelling from Castle Douglas to study at Dumfries College is set to save around £1,231 per academic year

–    A student travelling from Bathgate to Edinburgh College’s Granton campus is set to save around £1,216 per academic year

–    A student going the Moray campus of the University of the Highlands and Islands from Inverness is set to save around £945 per academic year

–    A family in Edinburgh can save £304 a year on their child going to and from school if they need to take the bus

–    It will save a family of four £22.70 on a trip from Keith to Inverurie Trampoline Park.

Scottish Green MSPs, Alison Johnstone and Andy Wightman, have also hailed the deal struck by the party to deliver free bus travel for young people aged 18 and under as “transformational”.

Alison Johnstone MSP said: “Free bus travel for young people is a transformational step towards tackling the climate emergency. This scheme could save young people and families thousands of pounds a year, and encourage whole generations of public transport users.

“Buses are the backbone of local public transport and the key to employment, training, sports and social opportunities for so many young people.”

The Scottish Greens have also secured an additional £95 million for vital local services, and an additional £13 million for community policing and prevention work.

Andy Wightman MSP added: “Since the 2016 election the Scottish Greens have pushed the Scottish Government to provide councils with a fairer share of funding.

“I’m delighted that this year Greens have been able to deliver over £7.4 million more for Edinburgh, £1.5 million more for Midlothian, £1.8 million more for East Lothian, and £3.2 million more for West Lothian, to help protect vital local services like community centres, and speed up the delivery of much-needed new schools.

While the Greens hail their contribution to tackling climate change, the local government umbrella body COSLA says the budget will do NOTHING to tackle the environmental emergency. 

The Scottish Government’s 2045 Climate Change Targets will not be met as local authorities will be forced to use ageing, high-emission vehicles on a daily basis, councils have warned.

The Scottish Government draft budget falls far short of what COSLA considers a fair settlement for Local Government.  It results in a £95m (£300m real terms) cut to revenue and £117m (£130m real terms) cut to capital budgets. The impact of these cuts will continue to be felt.

COSLA Environment and Economy Spokesperson Councillor Steven Heddle said: “This budget in no way recognises that we are facing a climate emergency nor the role of Local Government in addressing the challenges.

“The risks are clear. This is a budget which heavily impedes our ability to help Scotland meet these targets. If the Government are serious about addressing climate change then protecting services such as school and community transport, waste collection, gritting, and roads maintenance should be top of their agenda.

“Cuts to council budgets means cuts to public transport – forcing more people to travel by car and an end to critical investment in active travel.

“To truly tackle the climate emergency, we need to provide services in a different way, Local Government is eager to be a leader in the fight to tackle climate change, but resources are needed.

“Instead of additional resource to allow investment in emission-reducing infrastructure, energy efficiency measures and digital services delivery, we have seen a cut to the Local Government budget. This must be addressed if we are serious about tackling climate change.

“We are calling on the Government and the Parliament to address these concerns, listen to our asks and allow investment in essential council services which can make a real difference in the fight against climate change.

Edinbirgh SNP MSP Gordon MacDonald has welcomed an agreement to pass the Scottish Government that will see the capital receive an additional £7.43 million in the next year.

Police will benefit from a total uplift of £60 million in the next financial year, with £13m of additional investment in frontline services and a further £5m of additional capital investment, on top of the £42m already committed.

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “This budget invests a record £15bn in health and care services, delivers Scotland’s unique child payment to lift our youngest out of poverty and supports Scotland’s world-leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis.

“The Scottish Government had already backed Police Scotland with a budget increase of £42m.  That will now increase that support to £60m overall with £50m of investment for frontline services.

“Edinburgh will benefit from our share of an extra £95m for local government – with an extra £7.43 millon of investment.

“We have made significant investments to tackle the climate crisis, with funding for a green deal, low carbon travel and £1.8bn of low emission infrastructure.

“The introduction of free bus travel for those aged 18 and under will make an enormous difference to young people – and alongside the £500 million bus infrastructure fund will help deliver a step change in the use of public transport.

“This budget is a good deal for Edinburgh and a good deal for Scotland – and I’m delighted it is now set to receive the support of the Scottish Parliament.”

 

Enough is enough!

Councillors will meet tomorrow to discuss six steps for boosting sustainability, tackling poverty and improving residents’ wellbeing over the course of the next decade. The meeting comes a week before the city council sets it’s budget – a budget which UNISON says will slash council services with another £33 million in CUTS in the year ahead.

Designed to secure Edinburgh’s spending priorities, in the context of increasingly challenging financial circumstances, the six programmes of work are contained within a report detailing the next phase of the Council’s Change Strategy.

Members of the Finance and Resources Committee will consider the suggestions alongside detailed proposals for agreeing the city’s annual budget next week (20 February) and planned savings of £87.3m over the next three years.

One year into a four-year plan, the Change Strategy has already achieved savings of over £30m for the Council, while delivering improvements to frontline services across the city and major investment towards health and social care, the building of new schools and thousands of affordable homes.

Since last year’s budget, the Council has made significant progress against its target to deliver 10,000 new affordable homes by 2022, with 2,000 homes currently under construction across 35 sites.

A £153m improvement is making upgrades to nearly 600 buildings, with £67m spent building new or refurbishing schools, while an additional £15.7m has been put towards health and social care.

The start of the tram to Newhaven extension is underway – we’ll have to wait and see what the final cost of that particular project will be – and more than £7.4m has been invested into active travel and cycling around the city, alongside an £11m street lighting upgrade to LED.

The next phase of the council strategy builds on this work, identifying six programmes with practical steps for continuing to achieve Edinburgh’s spending priorities in this year’s Council budget and beyond.

The six programmes are:

  • Prioritising poverty and wellbeing

Developing a long-term Prevention Strategy based on the results of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission and the findings of the Homelessness Taskforce, and redesigning Council services which maximise residents’ wellbeing.

  • Working to reach net zero carbon

Co-sponsoring the establishment of the Edinburgh Commission for Climate Action – an independent body that will advise and support the whole city to play its part in protecting our environment for future generations – and building on the city’s Net Zero short-term improvement plan with a City Sustainability Strategy.

  • Building an inclusive city

Finalising and actioning a new City Plan and City Centre Transformation strategy to guide the future shape of the city and fulfilling the ambitions of Edinburgh’s 10-year City Mobility plan to change the way that people move around the city.

  • Operating a 21st Century estate

Launching a new Land and Property Commission to better identify sites for new housing, release depots and yards for redevelopment and capital for investment, reduce costs and carbon emissions – complemented by a new Estate Strategy examining all aspects of how the Council runs and maintains buildings and land.

  • Being an efficient and modern Council

Paying the baseline Living Wage to all employees, working to close the gender pay gap and improve diversity, and breaking down stigma associated with mental health conditions. We will also be reviewing senior management structures and costs.

  • Empowering citizens and empowering colleagues

By introducing new standards for consultation and co-designing services across the Council and fulfilling our commitment of 1% of council budgets being invested through participatory budgeting by 2021.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We need to think big and be bold to become the type of city people have told us they want to live and work in – an inclusive, sustainable and progressive city which prioritises frontline services and its most vulnerable citizens, puts an end to poverty and acts now against climate change – and we shouldn’t be afraid to make challenging decisions in order to get there.

“That’s why we’re changing the way we do things, committing to a longer term, three-year budget plan, paving the way for record capital investment in areas like new schools, new affordable new homes and sustainable transport. The six steps outlined in this report will make sure we remain focused on our key aims while providing the best services possible for the people of Edinburgh.”

The SNP can’t run the city on their own, of course, and they are supported by Labour in a ‘Capital Coalition’ which has been coming in for increasing criticism.

Capital Coalition Depute Leader, Labour’s Cllr Cammy Day, said: “Like all Councils, we’re facing unprecedented levels of financial uncertainty and we’ll need to make tough choices in order to prioritise the big changes Edinburgh wants and needs.

“The six areas have been shaped by many years of feedback, through our budget consultations with tens of thousands of Edinburgh residents. This is about focusing on frontline services which lift people out of poverty and support Edinburgh’s ambitious sustainability goals.

“Most councils will currently be considering how to set a one-year budget. We’re going further by looking at how we will balance our budgets over the next three years. We’ll do this while also continuing to push for the powers we need to introduce innovative new funding mechanisms for Edinburgh, such as the tourist tax and workplace parking levy.”

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

Local government trade union UNISON is urging it’s members and the general public to say ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and stand up for our local jobs and services.

The union is holding a Council Budget Day Lobby from 08.30 – 10:00 at the City Chambers on the High Street

  • Stress levels at breakdown point
  • Further £33m in cuts.
  • Health & Social Care Funding Crisis
  • Hundreds of jobs to go
  • Outsourcing back

Council will set budget on 20 February

The city council has announced a new timetable to enable councillors to agree a three-year budget on 20 February.

Following confirmation from the Scottish Government that the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work intends to outline his spending plans on 6 February, a special Finance & Resources Committee has been added to the council diary on 14 February, where proposals for spending and investing will be considered in more detail.

A series of proposals developed by Council officers, which have been shared with all political groups in the City Chambers, will be developed into Coalition proposals and published on 10 February.

No decisions have yet been made and officers continue to explore a number of options based on previous feedback from residents and council employees.

However whether the budget is for one year or three, one thing is inevitable: communites face yet more cuts to services.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “Despite the uncertainty brought about by delays to the UK Government’s budget announcement, we’re committed to setting a balanced three-year budget for Edinburgh – paving the way for record capital investment in our schools and transport over the next 10 years.

“We’ve already started outlining our long-term plans for making the city more sustainable and accessible while managing our city’s growth more fairly and effectively. But to reach these goals, we need to act now and make the smartest use of the resources we have available.

“Yes, there will be some difficult decisions we’ll need to make – that’s no secret. But it’s extremely disappointing that budget information, much of it inaccurate, has found its way into the public domain, causing unnecessary alarm in our communities.

“We won’t let this cloud the process or stand in the way of our priority, which is to agree the best budget for the people of Edinburgh; one that supports people out of poverty, responds to the climate crisis and allows our residents to share in our city’s success.”

The ciy council is currently run by a SNP – Labour ‘Capital Coalition’ – the majority SNP group supported by Labour’s twelve  councillors.

Council Depute Leader, Labour’s Cammy Day, added: “While many Councils across the country will be meeting next month or even later to set a one-year budget, we’re going further, outlining our spending plans until March 2023.

“Despite challenging budgets and continued pressure on local government finance, we will set a three year budget to allow the Council, partner organisations and our residents some certainty for the next few years.

“We will prioritise and invest in the areas our citizens have told us really matter to them, with a focus on poverty and sustainability. I’m confident that our future planning will see the capital city with a positive and progressive outlook for the future.”

‘Democracy must and will prevail’: Scotland’s right to choose

The democratic case for Scotland having the ability to choose its own constitutional future has been published.

The paper – entitled “Scotland’s Right to Choose: Putting Scotland’s Future in Scotland’s Hands” – lays out the detailed case for how and why the country should be able to have the choice of independence in a referendum. Continue reading ‘Democracy must and will prevail’: Scotland’s right to choose

Nicola Sturgeon: “a brighter, better future is possible”

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon said yesterday:

Tomorrow we go to the polls in an election which could determine Scotland’s future path for many years to come.

Brexit, the NHS, and the very future of Scotland are at stake – and the nightmare scenario is surely the possibility of 5 years of Boris Johnson as Prime Minister.

Chaos, confusion and a rallying of his right wing Brexiteers have been the hallmarks of Boris Johnson’s time in Downing Street. All of that – coupled with the damage of austerity and welfare cuts – means that this us the the time to end the Tories’ ruinous reign.

This election campaign has certainly flown by – and for those of us pounding the streets, it’s fair to say that the month of December wouldn’t be our first choice to be out knocking doors.

I’ve been out and about all over Scotland speaking to people, and although the weather may have been cold, the reception for the SNP’s message in this campaign has been warm.

But while I’ve been out and about speaking to people, Boris Johnson seems to be going to all sorts of lengths to avoid scrutiny. He has dodged TV interviews and debates left, right and centre – and has done his level best to avoid speaking to ordinary voters in Scotland.

It is little wonder he refuses to be challenged on his policies when all the evidence is that they will cause such deep and lasting damage to our NHS, workers’ rights, the economy and to living standards for this and generations to come.

Boris Johnson’s repeated claim that Brexit will effectively be wrapped up by Christmas is the biggest con since the one painted on the side of the Vote Leave bus – and it demonstrates why people are right not to trust him.

The truth is that Brexit will not be ‘done’ any time soon – even if Boris Johnson succeeds in dragging Scotland out of the EU with the UK. What follows will be years – potentially decades – of arguing over trade deals and future relationships. Let’s remember that leaving was supposed to be the easy part.

This brings me to another issue that is on the line in this election – the NHS. Although health is devolved to the Scottish Parliament, meaning the Scottish Government has responsibility for running Scotland’s NHS, we don’t have control over things like trade negotiations – and these could have a fundamental effect on our health service.

Notwithstanding all the panicky denials during the campaign, we know that Boris Johnson is desperate to do a trade deal with Donald Trump. We also know that US drug firms want ‘full market access’ to the NHS, and we know that Donald Trump would jump at the chance to charge our NHS more for drugs.

All of that could be devastating for our NHS budget. Even a 20% increase in drug prices would take hundreds of millions of pounds out of the frontline NHS budget.

Putting the NHS up for negotiation in any such talks would threaten the founding principles of the health service. In short, a re-elected Boris Johnson government poses perhaps the biggest threat to the NHS in its 70-plus year history.

I believe people in Scotland deserve a lot better than this as their future – and in tomorrow’s election we have a chance to aim higher than Boris Johnson and the sorry mess of Brexit.

SNP MPs will demand an end to austerity, an extra £4 billion for Scotland’s NHS, as well as guaranteed protection for the NHS from a Trump trade deal. We will push for fairer pensions, enhanced maternity and parental leave, stronger action on climate change and an end to the misery of Universal two, the child cap on tax credits and the shameful rape clause.

And for Scotland, we can ensure that decisions about our future are made by the people who live here – not by Westminster.

That is the fundamental point of independence.

Scotland has so much potential. From our successful industries of renewables, tourism, financial services and life sciences, to our highly educated workforce – many countries can only dream of having the resources that we so often take for granted.

Independence would unlock all of this potential, and build a better and brighter future for the people living here.

But whatever your views on Scotland’s constitutional future, surely we can all agree that our future should be decided by people living here, and not imposed on us by the likes of Boris Johnson.

This election will not decide the question of independence – but it does give us a chance to protect Scotland’s right to choose our own future.

So I am asking people to look ahead – not just to the next few weeks, but towards the future we all want to see for Scotland.

Do we want 5 years of Boris Johnson, Jacob Rees-Mogg and the Brexit extremists, imposing draconian policies on Scotland and dragging us out of the EU against our will?

Or do we want Scotland’s future in Scotland’s hands?

I think the choice is clear. And that brighter, better future is possible if Scotland votes SNP tomorrow.

Nasty Party?: Council Tories vote to force EU nationals to pay to stay

City Council votes to pay EU nationals’ application appointment fee – despite Tory opposition

Thursday’s city council meeting passed a motion to make application appointments for EU nationals in the Capital free. The city’s application services will now sign up to help EU nationals apply quickly for those finding the online application process challenging.

The Council will now allocate £25,000 to help the Council’s application service keep appointments free.

Council leader Adam McVay said: “By making it easier and free for EU nationals to apply through the Council’s application services we are doing all we can to help people through this appalling process and remind them that Edinburgh is their home and we stand with them as our residents.

He added: “The UK Government’s EU National application programme is a shameful way to treat our citizens, many of whom have been part of our city and community for decades.

“It’s somewhat ironic that the Tories, who can complained about a charge for people’s bin registrations, voted against removing the charge for EU nationals applying to register their lives in the Capital. When Tories believe registering a bin is a more important than applying to register your family to protect your rights, something has went badly wrong with their moral compass.”

SNP MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Gordon MacDonald, said: “The SNP has been clear across the board that we will support EU nationals in every way we can. Yet again, the Tories in Edinburgh have shown themselves as no better than the xenophobic party in Westminster that sent disgusting “go home” vans into our communities.

“I hope that despite the Tory’s treatment of EU nationals, they feel kindness and respect from the rest of us who are proud that they have done us the honour of making Scotland their home.”

City of Edinburgh Council – Full Council Meeting – 14 March 2019

Motion By Councillor McVey – EU Registration

“That Council:

  • Notes the UK Government’s appalling decision to force EU nationals to “register” to sustain their rights.
  • Notes that Edinburgh’s registration services took part in the Home Office settlement pilot which ended in late autumn 2018 which included an application assistance scheme to help “read” chipped EU passports to smooth the process.
  • Notes that the Home Office settlement has now gone live and residents can register for free from March 30th 2019 and fees paid before this time can now be reclaimed.
  • Agrees that Edinburgh City Council will use existing resources to publicise the free UK Government based service and existing support services available through citizen’s advice to citizens across the City.
  • Agrees that to help further support EU nationals remaining in Edinburgh, Council authorises use of up to £25,000 from the Council’s priorities fund to support Edinburgh’s registration services and avoid any administration fees being applied to any EU nationals registering with the Home Office settlement scheme through Edinburgh’s registration services.
  • Agrees that this expenditure will be monitored on a monthly basis and reported through the business bulletin of the Finance and Resources committee and delegates authority to the Chief Executive, in consultation with the Leader and Deputy Leader, to limit free registrations to citizens who live in Edinburgh, subject to service demand.
  • Agrees that the Leader will write to the Home Office to request this funding is reimbursed in return for providing this service.”