The budget deal struck by the SNP and Scottish Greens does not stop Tory austerity, tackle poverty or redistribute wealth or power, Neil Bibby MSP has said.
For the second year running the Green MSPs have backed a Nationalist budget which will leave Renfrewshire Councils’ lifeline services squeezed.
The backroom stitch-up by the Greens and Derek Mackay also means the Scottish Government’s budget fails to fund a proper pay rise for Renfrewshire Council staff and fails to tackle child poverty.
Despite local government budgets needing £545m to stand still, the “deal” struck yesterday only delivers £159m.
Scottish Labour cannot support a budget which passes on Tory austerity to local authorities, which doesn’t redistribute wealth to tackle poverty, and which fails to ensure lifeline services are properly resourced.
Labour’s radical alternative tax plan would raise nearly £1bn extra this year to increase Child Benefit by £5 a week, give £545m to councils to stop cuts and reward staff with a proper pay rise, and send an extra £100m to the NHS.
West Scotland MSP Neil Bibby said: “The shoddy deal by the Greens to shore up the minority SNP government, is bad news for Renfrewshire.
“The money they claim to have wrangled from the SNP is a drop in the ocean when we know that Council’s need £545million just to stand still, when 23% of children are living in poverty in Renfrewshire, and when local public service workers need a proper pay rise.
“I could not support a budget which allows poverty to deepen and inequalities to widen in Renfrewshire and will leave lifeline local council services at risk”.
“The radical alternative put forward by Labour would have redistributed power and wealth, saved lifeline local services in Renfrewshire, helped tackle child poverty and allowed for an additional injection of cash of £100million for the NHS.
“A budget that tinkers around the edges from the SNP and Greens fails the people of Renfrewshire.”