Glasgow City Council faces 'brutal' cuts to plug £34m black hole, leaked document shows
dailyrecord.co.ukOfficials in SNP-run Glasgow city council have drawn up a series of “brutal” options to fill a £34m funding black hole.Axing a holiday scheme for free food for children, withdrawing services for dyslexic pupils and scrapping swimming lessons for primary aged kids have all been flagged up.Hiking crematorium chargers for bereaved families and cutting teaching staff are also ideas that were committed to paper.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “This is a brutal attack not just on the city of Glasgow, but on the lives of its children. “That any council could even commit these ideas to paper confirms how out of touch the SNP administration is.“Labour will oppose any plans that would make children the victim of the SNP’s policy of cutting councils to the bone.“Scotland must invest in education, so we can build a better future together - it seems only Labour are committed to that vision.” Documents seen by the Record show that Glasgow council, led by the SNP’s Susan Aitken, is facing a funding gap of £33.9m next year.
Critics believe Nicola Sturgeon’ s Government has proposed a poor budget for councils and local authorities face making swingeing cuts.
Aitken and every other council leader last year signed a letter to the Government complaining about the overall settlement for councils.According to the documents, officials have produced options that would fill for most of the black hole.Many are likely to be seen as highly unpalatable as they would affect low income families.One option is removing the Children's Holiday Food Programme, which provides meals to pupils outside of term time.Cutting this scheme would save £2m and council officials argued: “As there is now new national funding sources to support holiday food
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