Fife Councillors Call For End To Austerity

SNP politicians say it isn't working and is punishing ordinary families

SNP Councillors Neale Hanvey and Ann Bain are to table a motion to Fife Council today to call on the UK government to abandon the "failed" policy of austerity at a council meeting.

The motion, which also had a strong focus on austerity, asks all Fife councillors to oppose the Charter for Budget Responsibility which will deliver further public service cuts estimated between £30bn and £51.4bn (IFS). 

Councillor Hanvey said he has tabled the motion because he believes that vital public services and many families will reach absolute breaking point if the planned cuts were to go ahead. 

"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 Tory 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."