SNP quits sounding board after refusing to work with Tories

The SNP Group in North Lanarkshire has confirmed it will not be taking part in the budget sounding board as it wants to avoid doing a deal with the Conservatives.

Instead, the SNP intends to hold its own meetings with officials to draft its own budget.

SNP Group leader David Stocks said: “Labour made the decision to get into bed with the Tories and will now their budget will be held hostage by the party of austerity.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“The SNP will form its own budget, free from any Tory influence, and ask for support from independent councillors and some of the visibly uncomfortable Labour backbenchers to ensure the best deal for the people of North Lanarkshire.”

Council leader Jim Logue claimed the SNP are ‘abdicating’ their responsibilities to the people of North Lanarkshire.

He said: “With the SNP Group withdrawing from this process, we can only assume one of two things.

“Either they have no spending priorities for this budget and no regard for their own constituents, or they know their own Government in Holyrood are planning yet more swinging cuts to our council’s budget and are simply abdicating responsibility so as not to be tarred by the ongoing destruction of vital local council services.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Conservative Group leader Meghan Gallacher hit out: “The SNP need to stop this obsession with the ‘Tories being in bed with Labour’.

“If they stopped being so tribal, they might actually realise that there is a lot more to local government than petty politics.”