Green Party deal sees £3.3m of cuts to East Dunbartonshire Council cancelled

West Scotland MSP Ross Greer said: “This budget deal is a big win for East Dunbartonshire”.

He hailed major budget concessions won by his party from the Scottish Government, which he said will cancel £3.3m of cuts East Dunbartonshire had faced under the SNP’s initial proposals.

He said that the deal, worth £3.3 million for the council as part of a £170m overall improvement for local councils, will protect the future of vital local services such as schools, social care, road & pavements maintenance, and waste collection.

Mr Greer said the Greens have also secured a major boost for local public sector workers such as teachers, moving the salary threshold at which their pay rise decreases from 3% to 2% from £30,000 to £36,500. Nationally this means that 70% of teachers will receive the 3% rise, in line with inflation, rather than the 13% who would have under the SNP’s draft proposals.

The budget agreement also provides a major opportunity for the potential re-dualling of the Milngavie rail line and the long proposed Allander station between Hillfoot and Milngavie. This would come through the £2m fund the Greens have secured for feasibility studies into rail improvement projects.

West Scotland MSP Ross Greer said: “This budget deal is a big win for East Dunbartonshire. For two years in a row the Greens have taken over three million pounds of proposed cuts to our local services off the table and on top of that, this year we have secured a better pay settlement for hard pressed public sector workers, the opportunity to radically improve local public transport and greater action on fuel poverty.

“The budget agreement will see those earning lower than average incomes pay less income tax, it will ensure the vast majority of public sector staff – including nurses and teachers – receive a pay rise linked to inflation and provide more investment in low-carbon infrastructure, such as rail links that communities need.

“This shows the value of electing Green MSPs who are serious about winning progress for our communities rather than the unfortunate posturing and theatrics of other opposition parties.”