THE SNP have hit out at a Tory council co-leader for having "a total lack of respect for the Scottish Parliament" in his bid to bypass Scottish ministers to strike a funding deal with Westminster.
Douglas Lumsden of Abderdeen Council said his plan for local authorities to receive money directly from the UK Government would not be an attack on devolution.
He will ask fellow elected members to back his bid to approach Scottish Secretary Alister Jack and council funding body Cosla about how Aberdeen is funded.
Money from the Scottish Government – which includes the hundreds of millions extra issued during the pandemic – is allocated by the umbrella council body using a formula agreed by Scotland’s 32 councils.
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said "there is no question of any Scottish local authority being funded directly by the UK Government" because local government is fully devolved.
But Lumsden wants council chief executive Angela Scott to discuss the issue with Jack and Cosla by bypassing the SNP.
SNP group leader Alex Nicoll tweeted: “This really is an absolutely incredible stance from the finance convener of Aberdeen City Council.
“It shows a total lack of respect for the Scottish Parliament, the place where Councillor Lumsden wants to find himself next May.”
This really is an absolutely incredible stance from the Finance Convener of @AberdeenCC - it shows a total lack of respect for the Scottish Parliament, the place where Cllr Lumsden wants to find himself next May. https://t.co/e6CD2JybvP
— Alex Nicoll (@CllrAlexNicoll) December 8, 2020
Last night, Liberal Democrat group leader Ian Yuill said the move is "an attack on the devolution settlement".
“That is not because we don’t think the Scottish Government continues to give Aberdeen a horrible and unfair deal on funding but because what Councillor Lumsden is suggesting is an attack on the devolution settlement,” he said.
“The UK Government has no role and should have no role in providing funding for local councils – it’s a matter for the Scottish Government and Parliament.
“We believe they need to get their act together and to find the courage to stand up to the big Central Belt authorities and reform the local government funding schemes.
“But that’s a matter for the Scottish Government – not the UK Government – and clearly, to try and involve them is an attack on the devolution settlement.”
But Lumsden disagreed, claiming: “Something has to be done as we have been lobbying the Scottish Government and Cosla for a fairer funding settlement and nobody has taken it seriously.
“If the Scottish Government and Cosla were more amenable to a fairer funding settlement, then there would be no need to do this.”
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Lumsden is the Scottish Conservative candidate for Aberdeen Central, standing against SNP minister Kevin Stewart for the seat in the Holyrood elections in May next year.
He told the Press and Journal: “The Scottish Parliament is a devolved parliament with a huge amount of power and this just one area where I think we have to stand up for the city and make sure we get our fair share of funding.”
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