SNP accused of “Tory tactics” on council cuts

Alex Rowley: Picture credit - Alex Rowley

Scottish Labour deputy leader Alex Rowley has accused the SNP of using “Tory tactics” to cut local services.

Writing for the Labourlist website, Rowley said SNP cuts to councils mean 4,000 fewer teachers in our schools, 15 minute social care visits, and more than 150,000 Scots on social housing waiting lists.

Rowley said Labour will table amendments to the Scottish budget on Thursday to use the new tax powers to stop the cuts, and challenged the SNP to accept the amendments.

He said: “The SNP Government in Edinburgh wants to create a familiar image, one used by the Tories for decades, of wasteful town hall bureaucrats. But we know they reality is different. The SNP cuts are cuts to schools, to social care and to housing.

“It is SNP cuts that mean social care visits are set to a 15-minute stopwatch, while the waiting times for assessments and care packages grow.

“It is SNP cuts that mean our schools have 4,000 fewer teachers to teach our children, with support services to assist teaching and learning cut to the bone.

“It is SNP cuts that see 150,000 Scots on social housing waiting lists desperate to have decent, warm and safe housing.

“That is why Labour will propose amendments to the Scottish budget, to use the new powers of the Scottish Parliament to stop the cuts. If SNP MSPs reject our amendments, if they carry on the cuts to services which our poorest rely on, then they are no better than the Tories.”

However, Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart said ahead of the Scottish budget this week, “it is clear that the Scottish Government has invested in support for our economy, tackling inequality and providing high quality support for public services”.

He added: “Today’s figures show we have 253 more teachers than last year, including 160 directly funded by the Scottish Government’s Attainment Scotland Fund.

“The number of new build houses being completed has risen to almost 16,000 in the last year, with the rate in Scotland remaining higher than the UK average and we are committing £3 billion to deliver 50,000 affordable houses in this parliamentary term.

“And we’ve also invested £250 million from the NHS to protect and grow our social care services, including paying adult care workers the real Living Wage, giving up to 40,000 low paid workers a well deserved pay rise. This is on top of the £500 million we’re already investing over three years to support the integration of health and social care.

“In the face of continuing austerity from the UK Government we are protecting public services and making sure we invest in communities across Scotland.”