On Wednesday, as the largest party returned at the last South Lanarkshire council elections in 2022, the SNP Group once again presented an Alternative Budget to that of the coalition Administration. Yet again, Labour teamed-up with the Tories, Lib Dems, and independents to vote against the expressed wishes of the electorate. Our Alternative Budget would have protected education, roads, social work, leisure & culture, and so much more.
Below is some detail of the initiatives in our Alternative Budget, so you know what the Tories, Labour, Lib Dems, and independents decided against.
Top Summary
Our group are utterly stunned by the damage Joe Fagan’s Labour-Lib Dem administration has wrought on South Lanarkshire today. There was no need whatsoever for the scale of the cuts, charges, and austerity they have passed. This is utter vandalism, and we don’t see how these councillors can show their faces in their communities. The SNP alternative budget would have made no cuts to education or social work, provided greater funding for Leisure and Culture, and protected funding for third sector organisations such as Rape Crisis, Cancer Care, and Citizens Advice.
For Leisure and Culture specifically, Labour want you to think they’re putting in an extra £800k. But while they’re giving that with one hand, they’re taking away £750k with the other. The SNP budget amendment did not make that £750k cut but did provide £605k of additional investment in SLLC for a total £1.35m net difference, to protect our libraries, halls and sports facilities.
Policy Area Breakdown
🧒 Our children are our greatest asset & deserve protection.
🙅♂️ We will accept NO cuts to Education, including cuts to:
✂️ Teacher & support staff numbers
✂️ Addition Support Needs provision
✂️ Summer activities
📈 We also reject school meal price rises.
👵 We value the vital services our Social Work department delivers to South Lanarkshire residents.
🙅♂️ We reject ALL cost rises for Social Work, including:
📈 Increases to day care costs
📈 Near-doubling of residential care costs
📈 New key safe installation charges
🏊 South Lanarkshire Leisure & Culture provide sport and recreation services to our communities on behalf of the Council.
💷 Our budget includes increased funding for SLLC, to protect & encourage investment in our:
🏡 Community halls
📚 Libraries
🏌️ Sports facilities
🎗️ We value the charities and 3rd sector orgs that support our communities.
🙅♂️ We reject any cut to their funding, including:
✂️ Rape Crisis
✂️ Cancer Care Trust
✂️ Citizens Advice Bureaux
👥 These cuts will disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in society.
📊 Supporting businesses to invest in South Lanarkshire is key to ensuring local growth & inward investment.
⛫ From historic castles to beautiful countryside, tourism is also vital to our economic success.
🙅♂️ We reject the proposed cuts to Economic Development staff
🙅♂️ In Community Resources, our budget protects South Lanarkshire from cuts to:
✂️ Road maintenance funding
✂️ The Country Rangers service
✂️ School crossing patrols
🚗 We also reject parking charges at country parks and key outdoor attractions.
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