Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Scottish Greens Holyrood intervention takes pressure off Highland Council cuts?

Here's a press release from John Finnie we received this afternoon:

Highlands and Islands Green MSP John Finnie has hailed a budget deal struck between his party and the Scottish Government will which see the Highland Council receive an additional £7.5M in the next financial year.

The deal, which is worth £27.2M across the Highlands and Islands, ensures that many proposed cuts to frontline services can now be scaled back and removed entirely.

Highlands and Islands MSP John Finnie said:

“I am delighted that my Green MSP colleagues and I have been able to seal this monumental deal which will ensure Highland Council’s proposed cuts can now be significantly reduced.

“This deal demonstrates how electing Greens can make a real difference to communities. Badenoch and Strathspey Councillor Pippa Hadley and I have continuously pressed for these cuts to be scrapped and I’m thrilled that we have delivered a fair settlement today.

“The budget agreement will see those earning lower than average incomes pay less income tax, it will ensure the vast majority of public sector staff – including nurses and teachers – receive a pay rise linked to inflation and provide more investment in communities.

“While other parties continue to posture from the side-lines, Greens are making Highland and Scotland fairer. This agreement is the latest step in a journey on restoring financial powers at local level, on which we will need to see far more progress before next year's budget, as the annual fight against council cuts must not continue."

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I give it a week before highland council wastes it on some vanity project.

poor relation said...

And like Nairn is going to get any of that money

Anonymous said...

Does that mean that they will scrap nonsense suggestion like closing the public toilets and having parking charges in a town very reliant on tourists and tourism?

Anonymous said...

No.....it means that some folk have to pay a lot more tax......answer ..cut your hours if you can ...less pay less tax.
....don t give them your hard earned cash!!
I don t think the cuts will stop ...they are all money grabbers

Anonymous said...

Very few people will have to pay more tax. The vast majority of poor and average earners in Scotland will be hugely better off than their counterparts down South.
The rich and the richest caused the banking crisis and the ensuing austerity. Yet it is the poor in our society who have paid the price.
The additional funding agreed by Derek MacKay will ameleriorate some of the impact of allowing spivs and speculators to plunder Scotland (and the rest of the UK). The very richest will pay a few pounds more each week. Much less than their investments are likely to grow.
A redressing of the balance is long overdue.
Personally I'm admirer of the late Chancellor Healey - I can almost hear the joyful sound of "pips squeaking" :-)

Anonymous said...

Teachers are not rich ...but the majority will pay more tax ....no wonder there is a shortage .the last time they got a very small pay rise they were worse off than before they got it..this country needs to reward it's hard workers.

Anonymous said...

£36480 is what a teacher at the very top of their scale earns in Scotland.
Clearly, promoted teachers will earn more.
In Scotland, we have free tertiary education; we have lower council tax; we have free prescriptions; we have better childcare; and we have more GPs and a better NHS than anywhere else in the UK.
Anyone on £36480 in Scotland will pay £2 per week extra.
Not too bad value for money - to live in a more progressive, civilised, enlightened country.

Anonymous said...

The above must have been written by an SNP eer!!
I will not hold my breath to see if the extra money taken in by higher tax actually ever reaches our communities!

Anonymous said...

Anon at 6.53PM
You are probably correct sir.
It must be SNP information because it is factually accurate.
Or - is there any specific part that is wrong?