Austerity Rejection Calls

There are calls for Fife Council to reject the UK Government's austerity measures.

Councillors Neil Hanvey and Ann Bain want their colleagues to give their backing at a meeting next week.

They believe public services and families will reach breaking point if planned cuts go ahead.

Yesterday, Fife Council presented its budget for the coming year which set out how steps to save £77 million by 2018 will be achieved.

Leader David Ross is calling on the Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney to do more to help local authorities.

Councillor Hanvey believes the problem lies with Westminster: "We've already seen the impact austerity is having on the most vulnerable people in society, however many of those affected rely on vital public services to support them. Yet these services are the very ones shouldering ever increasing demand with ever more scarce resources. The true burden of austerity and welfare reform is poorly understood and more work needs to be done to demonstrate just how damaging these policies have been on local services and the social fabric of Fife, Scotland and the rest of the UK. 

"It was ordinary people's money that bailed out the bankers; bankers who are still enjoying extraordinary bonuses and a life of privilege. I was concerned this week during our budget discussions that many councillors see increasing the Council Tax as the way to mitigate the impact of austerity. Well that’s fine if you can afford it, but many working families simply can't afford the 51% that would be required to make up the current losses. It's just not a tenable position to support Troy cuts on one hand, yet complain that the Scottish Government don't have enough money to support our services on the other. Something fundamental has to change. We need a progressive consensus that enables the most vulnerable to be protected and the economy to stimulated for a sustainable recovery. Such an approach could also deliver meaningful job creation and greater equality across these islands and I hope that colleagues across the chamber support this call."