Council tax freeze: 'Edinburgh has seen massive cuts in services'

THE decision by Scottish councils to take a share of the government's £70 million "bribe" in return for freezing council tax this year was accepted without too much thought for the consequences.

And with most councils indicating an early willingness to accept the deal it would have taken a brave administration to stick its neck out and court early electoral displeasure by rejecting the offer, which would have resulted in an increase in local taxes.

But since then the chickens have come home to roost and despite the predictable crowing in council chambers the length and breadth of the country that frontline services would be protected from cuts, predictably this has not proved possible for most administrations.

Edinburgh has seen massive cuts in services across the board, including nurseries and crèches, services for the housebound and infirm and funding for the voluntary sector. And while money was set aside in the budget for high profile projects like Meadowbank, the Commonwealth Pool and the proposed third round of the schools rebuilding programme, every penny is now being squeezed out of all departments who have been ordered to make savings.

Even core services like education have not escaped the axe. At a time when there is growing concern that children are leaving school unable to read and write properly individual schools were each asked to cut their budgets by 1.5 per cent.

But Edinburgh is not alone. Today the Evening News has obtained a copy of a letter from a headteacher in neighbouring East Lothian which all too clearly illustrates the truth about council tax freezes and the devastating effect it is having on essential services.

Against a background of East Lothian headteachers being asked to make three per cent savings – up to £150,000 per school – the head of Musselburgh Grammar, Ronald Summers, has felt obliged to write to parents warning them of the potential consequences of funding cuts. Not only can he not afford to fill four permanent posts but he warns that should any teacher leave he is unlikely to be able to fill the vacancy and warns he cannot guarantee that all pupils will receive lessons in areas where shortages occur. It must be puzzling for both teaching staff and parents to learn of this when council leader Dave Berry went on record earlier this year pledging the authority would increase spending on key services, including education, by 8.75 per cent.

But the reality is that a council tax freeze does not allow such lavish spending increases without something else being sacrificed And although the perception of a tax freeze is good publicity for both national and local politicians it is inevitably the public which pays for the short-term popularity it has bought.