Cuts Debate
Ahead of Thursday's local government elections, Ross Martin, CSPP Policy Director, and Professor Richard Kerley, Queen Margaret University and CSPP Interim Chair, provide analysis on the extent of council budget cuts expected to follow this week's shake-up.
Speaking to the BBC's Douglas Fraser, Ross Martin states that "councillors will have to take tough decisions early, so that the hoped-for positive results can feed through by the time of the following election."
On the issue of outsourcing council services and back office functions to keep costs low and increase efficiency Professor Kerley comments that "a significant number of the big companies that were previously interested in talking to Scottish local authorities are saying 'we've had our fingers burned, or others have in Edinburgh'. It costs a lot of money to have that discussion, and if nothing happens those companies will be discouraged from doing that."
To learn more about the council budget cuts debates please read the full article on BBC News: Scottish council election: Where will the budget axe fall?
You can also follow the discussion by watching last night's Newsnight Scotland featuring contributions by Ross Martin and Professor Richard Kerley on the BBC iPlayer: Newsnight Scotland - 01/05/2012
For more coverage on the CSPP's contributions in the run-up to the local government elections please see:
Herald Scotland - 01/05/2012: Warning over new council members' election
Sunday Herald - 29/04/2012: How the voters have recast Scotland
