SNP BUDGET HANDS MIDLOTHIAN COUNCIL £4.8 MILLION AND EAST LOTHAIN COUNCIL £5.5 MILLION BOOST

CONSTITUENCY MSP, COLIN BEATTIE, BACKS INCREASED SUPPORT FOR VITAL LOCAL SERVICES
 
Local Constituency MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Colin Beattie, has backed draft budget proposals that commit £183.7 million for Midlothian Council and £194.7 million for East Lothian Council in 2021/22.
 
Scotland’s Finance Secretary Kate Forbes announced this week that the SNP Government will hand Midlothian Council an additional £4.8 million on last year’s spending – an increase of 2.7%, and will provide East Lothian Council with an additional £5.5 million – an increase of 2.9%. The plans will provide the council with an increase in day-to-day revenue spending.
 
£90 million has also been set aside to scrap rises in Council Tax and compensate local authorities who had planned to increase charges by up to 3% - allowing hard-pressed householders to keep more of their money to spend on other essentials.
 
Across Scotland, councils are set to receive £11.6 billion, with £259 million added in one-off funding to support ongoing COVID-19 pressures on local services.
 
Welcoming the announcement, SNP MSP Colin Beattie said:
 
“In these uncertain and challenging times, the SNP Government has offered stability with a budget that protects vital local services and supports our economy.
 
“Local council workers have been working around the clock during this pandemic to keep Midlothian and East Lothian moving and ensure essential services continue to operate.
 
“So it’s great news that Midlothian Council is set to receive a funding boost of £4.8 million and East Lothian Council will receive a funding boost of £5.5 million for the coming financial year.
 
“In these tough times, I know that local residents will also be delighted that the SNP Government has taken the significant step of supporting local authorities to introduce a freeze on Council Tax bills.
 
“I’ll be backing these draft budget proposals to secure this cash for Midlothian and East Lothian.”