John Swinney faces opposition from his deputy over perceived plans to axe and merge some councils.
The First Minister confirmed in his Programme for Government that he wanted to “rewire” the public sector, including local authorities, outlining a future with “fewer” of them.
There are currently 32 local councils, and this number will be slashed by the SNP Executive, although Mr Swinney has refused to say how many he wants to cut.
He told Holyrood that he was going to “rebalance power” and that some of the councils are too small to be strategic and some are too big to be local.
Many people in Dunbartonshire would like to see the back of the failed, accident-prone West Dunbartonshire Council, where Labour holds the administration despite having lost their majority through resignations of their own members who quit the party but stayed on the council.
When Labour offered it to the SNP, they turned it down because it looked too much like a poisoned chalice which, in its present state, it most definitely is.
A three-month “intensive engagement” is ongoing but with council elections next May, the current regional structure is likely to last for the next six years at least. At the end of the reforms, Mr Swinney promised a “new structure for local government in Scotland.”
There is a remote chance, however, that the reform could happen before the Scottish local government elections in May next year.
Smaller councils such as Clackmannanshire and Inverclyde are at risk of being swallowed up by their neighbouring regions, with metro city regions, such as Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and Edinburgh also being considered.
The threat to Clackmannanshire has upset SNP deputy leader Keith Brown, who vowed to protect the council area in a column for his local newspaper Alloa Advertiser.
It is the smallest mainland local authority, and already has a partnership with Falkirk and Stirling to share some back office functions, so this may become a model for a newly expanded council.
Mr Brown said: “Recent discussion about the future shape of local government has understandably prompted questions about what reform could mean for Clackmannanshire.
“As Scotland’s smallest mainland council, it is perhaps inevitable that our area will be mentioned whenever council structures and boundaries are debated. My own view is clear: Clackmannanshire should remain a local authority in its own right, with decisions about local priorities taken by representatives who know and understand the communities they serve.
SNP deputy leader Keith Brown
“Councils across Scotland are undoubtedly facing significant financial and operational pressures. Years of austerity, rising demand and increasing costs have placed enormous strain on essential local services. Similar pressures have left many councils in England and Wales facing bankruptcy or severe financial difficulty. Simply redrawing council boundaries, however, will not make those pressures disappear.”
Mr Brown will face a major decision about voting for council mergers if the choice comes to the Scottish Parliament and Clackmannanshire is on the chopping block. Cosla, the council umbrella body, has also raised concerns about the future of local authorities.
The SNP MSP concluded: “Clackmannanshire is not too small to have a voice of its own. The challenge is to protect that voice while being prepared to reform how councils and other public bodies work together. I will always stand up for Clackmannanshire’s right to retain its identity and democratic representation.
“At the same time, we should be willing to consider well-evidenced changes which deliver better, more resilient and more sustainable services for the people we represent.” The Scottish Tories pointed to this criticism as a sign that Mr Swinney has no idea what he is doing with his reforms.
Scottish Tory local government spokesman Alexander Burnett MSP
Local government spokesperson Alexander Burnett told the Scottish Daily Express: “This is further evidence that John Swinney’s proposed public sector reforms are quickly unravelling. Even his party’s deputy leader is raising serious concerns about what they might mean for his local area, which raises serious doubts about how Swinney will be able to sell his plans to the wider public.
“After years of savage cuts to local councils, the SNP leader should do the right thing and come clean on exactly what he is planning in relation to restructuring local government.”
Seat of power – Council headquarters in Dumbarton may soon have to become a sofa.
