by Democrat reporter
Jackie Baillie, pictured right, has called for money, power, and funding for West Dunbartonshire Council, as new analysis shows that West Dunbartonshire has been short-changed by £54 million since 2014.
New analysis from the House of Commons Library found that if local government funding in Scotland had kept pace with the Scottish block grant, Scottish Councils would be £2 billion better off.
Scottish Labour is arguing for more power and funding to be pushed out of Holyrood and into local communities.
The Dumbarton MSP said: “Everyone knows a road with a pothole that needs fixing; a school that needs more support for children with additional support needs, or a high street that needs local investment.
“Instead of empowering local communities and opening up politics and decision-making to communities in West Dunbartonshire, the SNP has chosen to hoard power and money in Holyrood and deprive areas of funding which would have made a real difference to the lives of local people.
“Too much money and control is centralised in Scotland; we need to reverse that and push funding and powers out of Holyrood and into local communities.”
The block grant grew by 20.3% in real terms between 2013/14 and 2025/26. This figure uses the total Departmental Expenditure Limit measure of the block grant, before adjustment for tax and welfare devolution, as this is the most comparable measure.
It is based on data from HM Treasury’s Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) (multiple editions) and from the 2025 Spending Review.
Data on allocations from the Scottish Government to local authorities can be found in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre’s briefing Local government finance: Budget 2025-26 and provisional allocations to local authorities. The table below compares the amount that each authority was allocated in 2025/26 with an amount 20.3% higher in real terms than the 2013/14 allocation.
First Minister John Swinney and Stephen Flynn MSP.
Meanwhile, commenting on a YouGov poll released on day one of the SNP conference, Scottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said: “Every time SNP conference rolls around, SNP politicians try and convince an increasingly sceptical membership that independence is just around the corner. It’s an alternate reality miles away from the priorities of most Scots.
“It’s taking SNP members for fools. Even they know that isn’t true. For most Scots, this just isn’t a priority no matter how much John Swinney and Stephen Flynn try pretending it is.
“The people of Scotland have been badly let down by the SNP during their 19 years in power at Holyrood. We need ministers to focus on addressing the issues that matter most to the public, such as our NHS, education system, and housing.
“Labour has been clear that we will work constructively with the SNP on these issues where we can do so, as it is in all our interests’ to improve people’s lives.”
Top of page: Everyone knows a pothole that needs fixing.
The Dumbarton Democrat official readership numbers from Microsoft have risen again today, October 15, 2026, at 3.30 pm to 18,119 for Views and 15,197 for Visitors