NEWS RELEASE : Opposition leaders call on Finance Convener to back Aberdeen at COSLA meeting

The leaders of Aberdeen City Council’s two opposition groups have today written to Finance Convener, Cllr Willie Young, urging him to back the city at tomorrow’s COSLA Leaders’ meeting in a vote that would secure the city an extra £7.5m.

Council Leaders from across Scotland will vote tomorrow at COSLA on a proposal to overturn a decision taken at a previous meeting not to update the council funding formula. If this vote is overturned Aberdeen City Council would receive an additional £7.3m of revenue and £0.2m of capital.

SNP Group Leader Callum McCaig said “Tomorrow is a key day in this city’s fight for a fairer funding deal. Cllr Young has a choice to vote for an additional £7.5m in funding for Aberdeen or he can decide to gang up with his central belt Labour Party colleagues and see our money diverted to Glasgow. We are urging him to do the decent thing and put the city before his party loyalty.”

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Ian Yuill said “All it will take for Aberdeen to receive an additional £7.5m is for Cllr Young to admit his mistake, change his mind and do the right thing for the city he represents. Aberdonians have long complained about central belt bias, but for the first time ever we may have a city councillor happy to vote to send money to which Aberdeen is entitled to Glasgow. That would be shameful.”

The text of Callum McCaig and Ian Yuill’s letter to Willie Young is:

Dear Willie

COSLA Leaders’ Meeting

We are writing to urge you to cast your vote at tomorrow’s COSLA Leaders’ meeting to reverse the decision not to update the funding formula.

As you will be aware, figures published by the Finance Secretary, John Swinney MSP, indicate that updating the indicators would benefit Aberdeen City Council’s funding settlement by £7.3m of revenue and £0.2m of capital. This money would go a long way to supporting the services that Aberdeen City Council provides for the citizens that we have been elected to represent.

Should this decision not be reversed it will mean that this money, to which Aberdeen is entitled, will go to Glasgow instead. This would be a wholly unacceptable outcome and one that we hope that you will oppose.

For Aberdeen to receive a fairer funding deal it requires all parties to work together. This is a unique opportunity to secure significant additional resources and we urge you, when casting your vote tomorrow, to put the citizens of Aberdeen first.

Yours sincerely

Callum McCaig and Ian Yuill