Tories announce plans to ‘transform’ councils with more freedom over budgets

The Scottish Conservatives are to set out plans to “transform Scottish councils” and give them greater freedom over how they can spend their budgets.

Tory leader Russell Findlay will be joined by MSPs Craig Hoy and Alexander Stewart, the party’s spokesmen on local government, in Edinburgh on Wednesday to launch a policy paper which aims to transform local government.

Mr Findlay is expected to say SNP ministers have “hoarded power” at Holyrood and he will propose that councils receive an allocated fixed proportion of the Scottish Government budget each year.

He will say: “Our bold new plans would transform Scottish councils after almost two decades of being failed by John Swinney’s SNP, who arrogantly think they know best.

“The SNP have hoarded power at Holyrood while inflicting savage cuts on local authorities. I stand with hard-pressed Scots who are sick of paying more council tax while seeing services decline.

“Under our new policies, councils would have more freedom to spend their budgets as they see fit. They would also be given much-needed financial certainty by being allocated a fixed proportion of the Scottish Government budget each year.

“Control-freak SNP politicians don’t trust local councils, but the Scottish Conservatives know that local people are best placed to make decisions for their own communities.

“We are committed to giving back power to local people to help improve public services and spend taxpayers’ money wisely, which will help to grow Scotland’s economy.”

The party’s paper includes plans to simplify the funding process and pass a Local Powers Act that would give councils multi-year budget certainty for long-term planning and limit the ring-fenced spending imposed by Holyrood.

It also includes plans to ensure that funding reflects the additional costs that affect rural councils, and the pressures imposed on urban councils by factors such as population growth and migration.

The proposals would allow councils the freedom to keep more of the business rates revenue they collect, ensure local planning decisions are final, and introduce a league table to measure and improve delivery of waste collection and pothole repairs.

The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.