The leader of Inverclyde Council has backed calls from COSLA for greater funding for local authorities and a reversal of historical budget cuts.

Councillor Stephen McCabe is lending his support to the ‘Live Well Locally’ campaign launched today (Monday 15 November 2021) by the council umbrella body.

It is calling on the government to take urgent action to address the consequences of real-term cuts to the core budgets of Scotland’s 32 councils in recent years and comes ahead of the Scottish budget announcement on 9 December.

Councillor McCabe said: “We’re acutely aware here in Inverclyde of the negative impact of historical budget cuts on the services we deliver and the knock-on effect that has on our residents.

“Councils are having to do more with fewer resources and it’s simply not sustainable if we want to continue delivering high-quality services for the areas and people we serve.

“Local authorities have the knowledge, expertise and people to make positive changes in their communities but we need the financial support in order to do that and that’s why I’m supporting COSLA’s ‘Live Well Locally’ campaign to ensure a fair funding settlement for local government, especially in this crucial period of recovery from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.”