Commenting on the SNP Government’s revised budget offer for Stirling Council:

The Labour Group Finance Spokesperson Margaret Brisley said,

IMGP0497 “The SNP Government has a habit of giving with one hand and taking away with the other, so I’m going to remain skeptical until we drill down into these figures.  We’ve still got a projected budget deficit over the next five years in Stirling of over £20 million and it still isn’t clear if this is a one year settlement or if this additional cash will be included in the baseline for future settlements.  If not, we’re right back where we started next year.  Scotland has learned to ca’ canny with “I am the SNP, your saviour’ pronouncements from the nationalist throne in Edinburgh.  There’s nothing progressive about the SNP Government and I’ll be working to ensure Labour values deliver for Stirling in the February budget.” 

Stirling Council Labour Group Leader Danny Gibson said,

IMGP9286 (1) “When the school bully steals your lunch money, he’s still a bully if he offers you some of it back.  It’s farcical for Bruce Crawford to agree with Derek MacKay’s “fair” cut to our budget six weeks ago and then claim SNP decisions have delivered a “fairer” budget, when he’s only doing it because the Greens told him what to think.  This pantomime nonsense of the SNP Government presenting a terrible deal simply so they can let a Green Knight ride to the rescue is hugely damaging and creates unnecessary fear and anxiety for council employees, the communities they serve and the services they provide.  Stirling deserves better than this.  The SNP Government have delivered nothing but misery for our local communities in recent years and for them to claim otherwise is disrespectful and wrong.