Holyrood Session Makes Case for Local Government
Members of Inverclyde Council’s cross-party members budget working group have met to discuss the case for greater local control with the co-
convener of the Scottish Green Party.
The meeting with Patrick Harvie MSP was the first of a series of planned meetings with Holyrood members to highlight a range of the issues faced by councils.
Patrick Harvie MSP said: “This was a really useful opportunity for me to hear first-hand the experience of people who have been trying to run Inverclyde Council services in really difficult circumstances.
“We know that local government doesn’t have the resources and doesn’t have the power that it needs to do the job that people in Scotland deserve.
“The Greens have been committed to try to change that and we are still working hard to push the Scottish Government in the right direction.”
Inverclyde Council Leader Councillor Stephen McCabe said: “It is important that we speak to representatives of all parties at Holyrood to outline Inverclyde’s special position alongside our COSLA colleagues.
“We are a small authority with very different issues and aspirations to other councils such as the large cities.
“The one piece of common ground shared amongst every council in Scotland it is the difficulty we all face in the budget setting process.
“The public is consulted and we try to make the tough decisions needed on the basis of their opinions. But we all agree there needs to be a shift in the balance allowing greater flexibility to spend our core funding and to vary local taxation.
“I hope over future discussions with key figures at Holyrood we can argue that case on behalf of the communities we serve.”
Photograph: Patrick Harvie with (LtoR) Councillor Luciano Rebecchi, Councillor Christopher McEleny, Councillor Graeme Brooks, Councillor Elizabeth Robertson, Councillor Jim Clocherty (back) Councillor Ronnie Ahlfeld, Councillor Tommy McVey and Councillor Stephen McCabe.