Council cuts will continue to hurt all of us

The Scottish Government’s draft budget shows that there will be further deep cuts to the core revenue funding of all local authorities in Scotland. If approved, this will amount to a cut of £12.5 million in West Lothian,  severely hampering the Council’s abilitiy to deliver on key and protected services. 

In West Lothian, we already face a predicted 3% increase on our Council Tax bills, as well as the cost of living crisis and steep increases in energy bills. For those of us who are struggling after two years of uncertainty during the pandemic, further cuts to key services are the last thing we will be able to absorb.

The Scottish Liberal Democrats have always believed that strong decision-making power at a local level is the fairest way for communities to manage themselves. Who understands better what a particular community needs than the people who make it their home? Over the past ten years however, there has been a systematic attempt to centralise key decisions, which has led to many of us feeling powerless. 

The West Lothian Liberal Democrats want to change all of that. We are calling for the Scottish Government to reverse their decision and invest in the services that we all rely on to make our community better. Local candidate Sally Pattle said, ‘People in Linlithgow feel as though their voices and opinions simply don’t matter, that decisions are being taken at a higher level with no understanding of local issues. We want to change all of that, so if you vote Liberal Democrat in the local elections in May, you are voting for someone who will champion your rights. Your voice matters.’