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Council cuts were “ Labour Party ploy”       26/2/13

 

Sirs,

Since the Labour Party's banking fiasco, councils up and down the country have had to make difficult budget decisions. Our own council here, in the Western Isles is no different. What is disappointing to many people, is the way the majority of our councillors paid little heed to the SNP groups budget proposals. Their proposal if adopted would have protected jobs and our inter-island flights.

The retrograde decision on inter-island flights will have a negative affect on external investment across the whole of the Western Isles. When trying to attract investment, a communities infrastructure is critical. Of the seven Southern Isles councillors, only Donald Manford voted to retain the existing air services. For the other six councillors to irresponsibly vote against their communities beggars belief.

Too many of these independent Labour councillors put their party politics before the people they represent, in an attempt to discredit the Scottish government. When I read a press article from former Labour minister Brian Wilson condemning the SNP Group and supporting the cuts, it is clearly evident that the whole budget decision was a Labour Party ploy.

All of the councils across Scotland are claiming that they are special case and that they deserve more money from the Scottish government. I have no doubt that in many cases there is some justification in their claims. Unfortunately, since Labour gave our money to the bankers and the rich, the settlement from Westminster has been severely cut to accommodate the losses. While we are funded by Westminster, the Scottish government (including future Holyrood governments) will have little money to address such requests.

When looking at the settlements received by councils across Scotland, the amount given to the Western Isles was much better than that received by any other council. We are unlikely to see an end of these austerity cuts until we regain the levers of government by voting Yes to independence in the 2014 referendum.

 

Archie Harper

27 Shulishader

Point

Isle of Lewis

 

 

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