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Protesters take to streets of Aberdeen over council cuts



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Published Date: 06 April 2008
By Caroline Fraser
AN ESTIMATED 2,000 people marched through the centre of Aberdeen yesterday in protest at massive cuts in council services.
A £27m reduction in council spending has hit schools, sports facilities and services for the disabled.

Members of the SNP-LibDem administration who attended the rally were jeered as they attempted to pin the blame on the previous administration.

Among the groups demonstrating was homelessness charity Aberdeen Cyrenians, which says that a £900,000 budget cut means it has to sack a quarter of its staff.

Aberdeen Ice Hockey Club was also protesting about the closure of the city's ice rink.

The leader of Aberdeen Council, Lib Dem councillor Kate Dean, said: "We would not have had to make these cuts if we had a fairer funding settlement from the Government for Aberdeen – we need the funding formula changed.

Labour's shadow Secretary for Public Services, Andy Kerr, added: "The responsibility for these cuts rest with the SNP."

But SNP councillor Kevin Stewart insisted: "It is now crystal clear that Aberdeen's financial problems are a result of years of over-spending, as well as a funding formula inherited from the previous Lab-Lib executive."

Meanwhile, other local authorities say they are having to make massive cutbacks on vital local services as a result of the SNP's decision to freeze council tax. They include Dumfries and Galloway and West Lothian. In addition, members of Glasgow City Council say they are relying on cash reserves to avoid cuts.

Dumfries and Galloway has had to cut funding for charity groups and day-care centres. It has also reduced its budget for adults living alone with physical disabilities.

Labour councillor Ronnie Nicholson said: "The SNP Government have forced us to make this freeze and now it seems that they won't support us when we are struggling."

West Lothian has cut £6m from budgets, including classroom supplies, early years education, services to the elderly and roads maintenance.

West Lothian Labour councillor Graeme Morrice said: "The worst part of all was that, due to the rise in water and sewage rates alongside the rent rates, which are due to increase 20% in the next four years, people feel they haven't even benefited financially."

Glasgow has not had to make any major cuts, but Lib-Dem councillor John Mason said he was concerned about what would happen when the reserve money ran low.

Midlothian SNP councillor Colin Beattie said: "Some councils just have to grow up. Every council in Scotland has been given more than enough money by the Government. People just have to start taking responsibility for things."



The full article contains 440 words and appears in Scotland On Sunday newspaper.
Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 05 April 2008 7:45 PM
  • Source: Scotland On Sunday
  • Location: Scotland
 
1

Nebulous,

Aberdeen 06/04/2008 00:45:11
People weren't jeered as they tried to pin the blame on the previous administration. They were jeered before they had even begun to speak. Only around 150 stayed for the later speeches and the behaviour of a hard-core minority did not show them in a very good light. It said something positive about the councillors that they were willing to attend to hear people's concerns. They had also agreed to waive the £2500 charge for the march which should at least have let them be heard.

2

Colin R,

Bearsden 06/04/2008 01:16:42
what a poor turnout 2000/ 300,000 population is less than 1%
ABerdeen's budget is years of mismanagement coming home to roost- poor staff still in post eg LeisuresLolita cost two employment tribunal settlements cost £1M and she is still employed, Paterson is too cosy with Councillors
Aberdeen already has the highest council tax despite high business rates revenue
3

Linda,

Edinburgh 06/04/2008 09:53:24
Unions are also to blame for the mess in Aberdeen as they resisted all attempts to implement equal pay and this has added to the mess the current administration inherited.
4

Linda,

Edinburgh 06/04/2008 09:55:49
Councils are getting twice the rate of inflation and are required to make 2% efficiency savings which is no more than any other bloated organisation has to make.
5

Brian M,

Edinburgh 06/04/2008 11:57:58
Good for the new Aberdeen council having the courage to do this..

I'm sure there are many other departments/'services'/initiatives/grants/hand-outs which they can terminate.

And the same goes for the other 30 local authorities in Scotland.
6

Davy Thomas,

Irvine, Scotland 06/04/2008 16:22:44
Would agree that Council's have sufficent funds to freeze Council Tax without cutting Services. It is Labour instigating these cuts\actions. If a Labour Scottish Government had done what the SNP have done there would be no fuss\cut-backs - It is all political. The SNP have only done what Labour should have done a long time ago.
7

Brian M,

Edinburgh 06/04/2008 16:46:38
#7

True, for years councils have been allowed to increase council tax more or less as they wanted, to fund spurious 'initiatives', 'community projects', 'outreach this and outreach that', give it a name project, which should not be financed from the council tax payer.
8

Scottish Cynic,

Glasgoe 06/04/2008 23:58:02
#4 Do you actually understand how trade unions work? Oh sorry, of course you don't, you're a Nat. Trade union's fight for equal rights and pay for there members, not against. But any excuse will do. Why don't you take some responsibility for poor Nationalist decisions?

How can the SNP say that "councils need to grow up", when a pattern is emerging across local government? The results are the same. Cuts across Scotland on the front line due to the Council Tax Freeze.

The administrations in Aberdeen, West Lothian, Edinburgh, East Lothian and Dumfries must be either incompetent or heartless, and the SNP Government is both. The future really does looks bleak for local government.
9

Nebulous,

Aberdeen 07/04/2008 07:08:10
#9 the comment you are referring to is actually quite measured - of course Unions have to bear some responsibility for the state of affairs in Aberdeen. They have been strong and successive administrations have been weak and the Unions have frustrated change at every turn. The much vaunted Labour reserves went on paying back-dated equal status money. The current offer on the table is costing in excess of £10 million per year with almost half of people getting more money - and the Unions look set to reject it!
10

Annoyingboi,

Emptyburgh 07/04/2008 13:15:05
#3 Aberdeen's population is only 202,000 but you're right, the turnout is still dismal. Aberdeen has never been good at managing its finances and things are coming home to roost!
11

dude,

wishaw 07/04/2008 23:38:58
Time for council cutbacks - at the council!
Apr 6 2008 Elaine C. Smith

THERE'S a massive stooshie brewing over cuts to council services.

Bosses in Aberdeen say their hands are tied by the Government's decision to freeze council tax.

But maybe they should be looking a little closer to home as they wield the axe.

Almost all the people I know who work for councils complain about heads of department who do very little yet take home huge pay and pensions.

I've heard tales of highly-paid staff who clock in at 9am then sit with their bacon rolls and paper in the canteen till 11am.

That's followed by a two-hour lunch at 12 and clocking off at 4.

Nice work if you can get it.

Labour opponents of the SNP/ Lib-Dem council will snipe at them over the cuts - but surely years of over-spending when they were in charge is as much to blame.

The freeze in council tax was supported by the majority of Scots and particularly in Aberdeen, where it had risen by at least 70 per cent in the last 10 years.

By any reckoning that is far too much while too many people see the wastage in councils all around them.

Figures from one central Scotland council show that of the £31million they collect in council tax every year, £5million goes on staff sick pay - that's an average of three weeks off sick for every employee.

On top of all the holidays and other benefits that is too much.

So I'm all for a freeze that allows us all to catch our breath, look at where the money is going and let the public know their hard-earned cash is well spent.

In fact, councils should run a TV campaign telling everyone what they actually do.

I totally support the collection of council tax. All too often we forget our council taxes provide brilliant, much-needed services.

But we all need to see that our money is going to those people and those areas that need it most - and that means efficiencies at the top of the tree too.



 

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