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LEADER OF MORAY COUNCIL George Alexander has hit back at Moray’s MSP and the position he is taking in fronting a campaign against the democratic budget decision of the local authority.
Councillor Alexander was responding after Richard Lochhead MSP and his colleagues on the SNP group at Moray Council insisted they would fight on to save services that are being cut as a result of over £6million being shaved from the Council budget.
The SNP have insisted that Moray received £4million more than expected from the Scottish Government and should have used at least £1million of that to save a batch of controversial cuts.
However, the Conservative and Independent group led by Councillor Alexander insisted that the funding from the Scottish Government was still less than the previous year – and even at that, they are having to use over £4million from council reserves to balance the books.
Councillor Alexander said: “I am disappointed to see that the SNP councillors, supported by our MSP, have decided to encourage the people of Moray to ignore a democratic decision taken by their council.
“On Friday last week, before nearly one hundred witnesses, I suggested to Richard Lochhead, MSP, that he and I should sit down together and discuss how the Moray Council can cope with ever decreasing finances. I have yet to hear his response.
“On 25th January I wrote to the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Constitution, giving him details of the difficulties we face as a council and suggesting that we meet personally to discuss the financial challenges faced here in Moray. I have yet to hear his response.
“I believe that only when our MSP and his supporters fully understand the financial plight we councillors face, can there ever be a united effort by councillors and public to avoid bankruptcy of the Moray Council.”