Scotland’s Council Leaders will take their case for a better financial settlement for next year directly to the First Minister, following unanimous agreement at a virtual meeting of Council Leaders last night.

Leaders again expressed their extreme disappointment that the Local Government financial settlement - that has now been circulated to councils - shows a real-terms cut in core funding of £371 million and described this situation as totally unacceptable.

Commenting today (Wednesday) Councillor Gail Macgregor COSLA’s Resources Spokesperson said;  “All 32 of Scotland’s Council Leaders were clear last night that they owe it to their communities to take the case for a better financial settlement directly to the First Minister as a matter of urgency.

“We have already written to the First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy in relation to the settlement, but last night there was a real strength of feeling that we need to press for a meeting at the highest possible level of Government in a bid to make Government understand what this budget will really mean in our communities, and the detrimental impact it will have on core services.”

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison said:  “Many in the meeting described this settlement for Local Government as the worst they had seen. Council Leaders were clear last night that we could not sit back and simply accept this and there was a real strength of feeling that enough is enough.

“Not only do Leaders consider that we have been given a real- terms cut of £371 million, the Local Government settlement  makes no provision for pay, inflation or increased demand for services nor for the increased burden of National Insurance Contributions;

“Leaders instructed COSLA to seek an urgent meeting with the First Minister and the COSLA leadership team including political group leaders and that is what we will be pushing for as a matter of urgency.”