The Edinburgh Reporter February 2024

4

Dire budget cuts

Scrap meals

for councillors

Finance shambles creates chaos

By CLLR ALYS MUMFORD

Green Group co-convener and

economic spokesperson

IF YOU WANT to see where political

priorities really lie, you have to follow the

money. And for the Greens, we hope that

anyone looking at our budget will see

that we are the party of social and

climate justice.

We’ll be opposing the education cuts

which would see pupils most in need of

support have it snatched away from

them, and schools lose half a day a week

on learning about sustainability. We’ll be

prioritising investment in active travel

over car use, making sure public toilet

provision is available for those who need

it, and boosting spending on nature to

increase Edinburgh’s biodiversity and

give everyone access to green space.

You’ll see proposals from us to find

more money by scrapping unnecessary

spending (do councillors really need to

get a hot meal once a month? And what

good is a fancy number plate on the Lord

Provost’s car to Edinburgh residents

struggling with the cost of living?), and

instead investing it in meaningful

community action on climate change, on

supporting accessibility measures to

make Edinburgh welcoming for all, and

on reducing the economic inequality

which is rife in the city.

PART OF THE PUZZLE

We can’t ignore council tax - always a big

part of the puzzle for any local authority.

Greens have been clear in our opposition

to the national Council Tax Freeze, which

will benefit those in higher-valued

properties at the expense of poorer

people. Council Tax is a bad tax, but the

answer is to scrap it and replace it with

a better system, not simply to freeze it

for a year and pile up problems for

future budgets.

Finally, for us a budget isn’t just a

spreadsheet to be argued over in

February by 63 Councillors. It is the way

we signal what we care about as a city,

how we support workers and protect

services, and how we invest in the

future of Edinburgh and all who live

here. We should be listening to the

public, consulting with trade unions,

and making sure we know the impact

that our decisions will have on people

and planet.

Prospects for new Eye Pavilion building are looking bleak

By SARAH BOYACK MSP

EDINBURGH is facing massive health

challenges: A&E Waiting times are increasing;

patients are waiting longer to get vital health

operations and access to GPs and NHS dentists

is becoming harder.

The Scottish Government’s decision to not

fund the construction of a new Edinburgh Eye

Pavilion is indicative of these failings and will

have dire consequences for Edinburgh’s patients.

I have been campaigning for years to secure

a new facility, after the current building

was deemed not fit for purpose in 2014.

In spring last year, the then Health Minister

Humza Yousaf committed to the new

Edinburgh Eye Pavilion.

When I sat down in October with

campaigners and patients to meet the current

Health Minister Michael Matheson on the

urgent need for a new Eye Pavilion, we were

assured the decision would be made around the

budget. But no mention of the new Eye Pavilion

was made in the budget in December, and it has

now transpired it will not go ahead due to The

Scottish Government’s cuts to capital budgets.

This is a slap in the face to the patients and

campaigners who have worked so hard to secure

a new Eye Pavilion for the city. With this project

not going ahead, patients will be forced to use a

building that is unable to deliver the standard of

care required from our NHS.

The breadth and depth of support for the

campaign has been inspiring. Hearing from

patients, activists, and staff about the severe

issues with current facilities has been both

shocking and eye opening. After meeting with

campaigners in November, myself, and a

cross-party group of MSPs from across

Edinburgh, wrote to Michael Matheson

asking to work constructively towards a

new Eye Pavilion. The campaign also

garnered the support of Gordon Brown, who

has been a patient at the Eye Pavilion for its

entire existence.

However, these calls have now been rejected.

The Health Minister’s decision means that the

eye hospital will fall deeper into crisis. Already,

only one of its operating theatres can be used

and the problems caused by floods, lifts

breakdowns and other facilities, will lead to

countless cancelled or delayed appointments.

The Scottish Government must stick to its

election promise and fund a new Eye Pavilion.

This issue goes far beyond party politics and

patients must have access to the best facilities.

If The Scottish Government do not reverse

their decision, the consequences would

be unthinkable.

By CLLR LESLEY MACINNES

SNP Finance Spokesperson

SETTING EDINBURGH

Council’s annual budget should

be a sober and focused time for

councillors. Delivering quality

services for Edinburgh residents

is what we are elected to do.

Last year became a complete

farce when the Labour

administration budget was

voted down. They voted for a

Lib Dem budget which tore up

promises to Council staff and

unions. The Council Leader

admitted not even reading it

before voting for it. This year

we’re witnessing the same

chaotic mess. Labour put the

schools’ budget publicly under

threat to the tune of £8.2m,

alarming families and teachers.

Apparently, the money’s now

been found to avoid those cuts,

although we still don’t know

where the Finance Convener

found it. Down the back of

the sofa?

SNP councillors highlighted

that Edinburgh Leisure had

opted not to pay the Real Living

Wage to its lowest paid

employees this year and tried to

find solutions. Labour pushed

on and named sports venues

closing. Now it’s been revealed

that the money was available all

this time. Why did Labour not

agree to our many attempts to

fix this?

The Scottish Government is

fully funding a Council Tax

freeze to help hard-pressed

households. This is one bill you

won’t see go up. Labour instead

claim they have to increase

Council Tax by 10%.

This is a shambles. Labour

and their pals in administration,

the Tories and Lib Dems, are

chasing headlines and pretend

to save services under threat.

They don’t care about the

impact on our residents

and employees.

Enough with the political

games. The SNP will present a

serious budget option which

concentrates on what really

matters to the city. We’ll be

protecting services, and you, as

much as we can from the

devastating cost-of-living crisis,

improving the quality of our

lives and environment and

investing in our city’s future.

Instead of Labour joining

forces with the Tories, perhaps

we can ask the Council Leader

to read our budget this year –

he might get some good ideas.

NEWS

Sarah Boyack MSP outside

the current Princess

Alexandra Eye Pavilion

Cllr Lesley

Macinnes

Cllr Alys

Mumford