Hansard

I wish Aileen Campbell all the best in her future endeavours. We have definitely had a good relationship in the Parliament, particularly when we have seen eye to eye.

I am grateful to be given the opportunity to speak in today’s debate. I, too, thank Andy Wightman and others for their hard work and efforts on the bill.

The Scottish Conservatives support the overarching aims of the bill in seeking to strengthen protections for local government in Scotland.

With much of the day-to-day political focus on stories about the capitals of Europe, including London and Edinburgh, we often fail to recognise the important role that councils play in delivering for the Scottish people. Scotland’s councils are responsible for educating our children, maintaining our roads and looking after our elderly. They are an essential part of government and, as such, they deserve to be emboldened and safeguarded against there being excessive power in Edinburgh.

Part 1 of the European Charter of Local Self-Government is clear that public responsibilities should be carried out by the authorities that are closest to citizens. I whole-heartedly agree with the spirit of the charter in that respect. I also agree with Andy Wightman’s assessment that power in Scotland has become far too centralised.

The Scottish Conservatives have always said that the devolution of powers from London to Edinburgh should not stop at Holyrood. Power and decision making should continue to flow downwards to Scotland’s councils. They should not be centralised in Holyrood and Bute house, as has happened consistently during the past 14 years.

For example, hundreds of local planning decisions made by Scottish councils are overturned by the Scottish ministers each year, with ministers riding roughshod over community objections in many cases. In 2019, in four out of every 10 planning and development decisions that were appealed to Scottish National Party ministers, the original council decision was overturned. That power grab is clearly at odds with the spirit of the articles of the charter, which are, at their heart, designed to promote local democracy, independence and accountability.

It is in that context that the Scottish Conservatives have proposed a new law to prevent the Scottish ministers from overturning council decisions on planning applications, which would force Governments in Edinburgh to fully respect councils’ independence. Scotland’s councils, not Government ministers in Edinburgh, know best what the needs and priorities of their residents are, and what projects will bring benefits to their communities.

Across Scotland, our communities have a diverse range of needs. Many of the day-to-day issues that Orcadians face are completely different from those that Glaswegians face. It is therefore right that as many decisions as possible are taken by the people who are most likely to be directly affected by them.

Today marks one year on from our first national lockdown. Most important is that it presents a unique opportunity for us to mark today as a day of reflection about those who, tragically, lost their lives to the virus. It also gives us a chance to reflect on the unprecedented and profound effect the lockdown restrictions have had on our society and our economy.

As we aim to rebuild Scotland following the pandemic, which has turned our way of life upside down, I firmly believe that local government should play a key role in rebuilding our communities. Scotland’s councils will be at the forefront of addressing the many challenges and grasping the opportunities that will arise in communities throughout the country as we look to emerge stronger from the pandemic.

To be clear, to play that leading role, councils must be equipped with the appropriate financial resources and given the tools and freedom to deliver for Scotland’s communities. Although the Conservatives offer the bill our broad support, it is clear that there are other positive and practical measures that the Parliament can take to embolden Scotland’s councils further.

The Scottish Conservatives have already pledged that we would enshrine a new fair funding deal in law. Organisations such as COSLA have highlighted serious concerns about funding, and it is well known that Scotland’s councils have been cash strapped for years. The pandemic has compounded the problem. Our proposed financial framework for local government in Scotland would mean that councils would automatically receive a set percentage of the Scottish Government budget each year. That would give Scotland’s local authorities the much-sought guarantee that they would be not only financially independent but supported to the hilt to provide the best services for residents.

In the spirit of the charter articles, investing in local councils is at the heart of our vision to rebuild Scotland’s communities following the pandemic.

To reiterate, we broadly support the bill, as it will elevate the standing and importance of local government in Scotland. However, we believe that the Parliament can go further and can be much more ambitious in supporting local councils in Scotland with practical measures to deliver for residents across the country.