COUNCILLORS have hit out at SNP-Green cuts to local authorities they warn will lead to a rise in poverty in Scotland.

In the run-up to last week’s draft budget, the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) had warned that many councils would struggle to set budgets in the coming year and that as many as a quarter could face effective bankruptcy. 

But it is the effect on tackling poverty which is the focus of councillors’ anger at the Scottish government.

On Twitter today, Cosla slammed the budget as a missed opportunity to tackle poverty.

In a statement it said: “The budget should have had a focus on tackling the root causes of poverty, particularly its impacts on children. This year’s budget presented the opportunity to prioritise prevention and tackle inequity, to invest in communities and realise our ambitions to end poverty in Scotland.

“It did not deliver. Without a fair settlement for councils, the poverty gap in Scotland will continue to grow.

“The proposed council tax freeze means that money which could have been invested in tackling poverty upstream — in families, communities and schools — is lost, missing a real opportunity to unlock councils’ potential.”

Seeking an urgent meeting with Scottish Finance Secretary Shona Robison, Cosla warned: “Council leaders will not let this lie, they simply cannot afford to, because it will have such a detrimental impact on the communities they represent.”

Ms Robison responded: “The [proposed] Scottish budget includes record funding of over £14 billion for councils in 2024-25 — a real-terms increase of 4.3 per cent compared with this year’s budget — should they agree to freeze council tax.

“The Scottish government is happy to meet with Cosla to discuss their concerns.”