Edinburgh Labour backbench councillor refuses to back administration budget

LEITH Labour councillor Gordon Munro abstained on Edinburgh City Council's budget rather than vote for a package which he said would mean jobs going and facilities closing.

And he complained the case for better funding for the city had not been made forcefully enough to the Scottish Government.

He said core revenue funding for Edinburgh was down 11.4 per cent since 2013/14, there had £320m cuts to date and some 1600 jobs had gone.

He said: “Edinburgh needs full and fair funding. This council receives the lowest per head of population settlement of Scotland’s major cities with Edinburgh receiving £1,376 per head compared to Glasgow’s £2,056. Edinburgh is being short changed.”

He said he had pressed the issue consistently at council meetings but there seemed to be “a real reluctance to make any case never mind challenge the framework within which we have to set this budget”.

And he said he could not support the administration’s budget.

“I have been critical and have been loyal to date but enough is enough. I cannot support a budget which makes cuts that will impact in every ward in the city - cuts on our schools, leisure centres , libraries , council services. Jobs will go facilities will close. But worse than that we will not be able to do what needs to be done. We need to build homes, new schools; tackle the demographics of a growing city and its growing needs."

He said the budget broke the coalition agreement, not least its commitment to campaign against austerity.