Today the head of COSLA, Cllr Gail Macgregor (A CONSERVATIVE) is going to accuse the Scottish Government of £95m in real terms cuts to councils despite council budgets increasing. This is true. But ask yourself where that money comes from.
Every person in Scotland pays tax to the Treasury. The UK Government then "decides" what a large chunk of that should be spent on "on behalf of Scotland". Like trident, HS2 and a stack of other things that Scotland derives NO BENEFIT FROM.
A proportion of that money comes back in the "block grant" which is just a rebate of part of our own tax money. In real terms that has continued to fall UNDER TORY AUSTERITY. The Scottish Government then has to allocate that money to councils.
It's a tidy little arrangement. Westminster screw over Scotland with our own tax money through unnecessary hard-biting austerity, forcing the Scottish Government to have to make a choice about where the money goes in such a way THAT IT WILL ALWAYS HAVE A DETRIMENTAL EFFECT.
So their own politicians at council level can then point the finger at the Scottish Gov Point and case? The rape clause which the Scottish Government can't mitigate, but which is a UK Government policy. Of course, that didn't stop Ruth Davidson demanding Scotgov mitigate it.
Second point and case: The bedroom tax which despite popular belief STILL EXISTS IN SCOTLAND. Indeed since its inception, Scotgov has spent more than £50 million mitigating it.
