The education committee on Moray Council voted to send a letter to SNP leaders of the Scottish Government to highlight the problems with enacting manifesto commitments without full funding. The committee heard last week and today over a staggered debate how key policies such as Free School Meals, Early learning and childcare and Musical instruction were forcing councils into financial difficulties due to the lack of full funding.
Moray council officers highlighted at the recent full council a £20million gap over the next 2 financial years.
Conservative and Independent members joined together to request the letter be sent with the SNP voting against.
Commenting on todays vote is Cllr Frank Brown who proposed the motion;
“The Conservative group were at pains to point out to the SNP leader Cllr Graham Leadbitter that it is simply not possible to implement Scottish Government policy without there being full funding attached. The SNP have a long history of not fully funding key election promises, instead passing the buck to councils to resolve.
This causes huge issues with maintaining other critical services that many people rely on. Moray has seen years of cuts to its budgets. We had hoped by the end of this council we would be on a much more stable financial footing, but far from that we face a financial abyss as the SNP leave the council going into an election with a £20million black hole.
My motion today was an attempt to highlight this, a plea to the Scottish Government that councils can not cope with the lack of money they are giving. It simply is not possible to implement these policies however good they are without the cash to do it.”
Further commenting is Cllr Claire Feaver who seconded the motion;
“At a time when we should be using all our energies and resources to support our communities after a very tough couple of years the SNP instead are using £7million of COVID reserve money to prop up the council this year.
As has been clearly pointed out by COSLA and Audit Scotland the money provided in the settlement is not enough to even maintain current services let alone absorb the additional costs of implementing Scottish Government policy.
Councillors are local people themselves, of course we want to provide a range of high quality local services but in the 5 years I have been in the council rather than concentrate on that we have had to instead look at what services need to be taken away.
This cannot go on any longer, and whilst this letter focuses on Free School Meals the bigger picture is that without more support future councillors face a very tough couple of years.”
