CLAIMS that Scottish Borders Council is to be given its lowest budget ever have been dismissed as “premature poppycock”.

Last month, we reported that the local authority is set to receive £193.2 million for revenue spending – almost £6m less than last year.

This week council leader Shona Haslam (Cons) warned “difficult decisions are inevitable” when it comes to balancing the books, adding: “Thanks to budget cut after budget cut over the past few years, Scottish Borders Council now has the lowest amount of money to spend on day to day services.

“Any further reductions in the council’s income will mean we have to cut spending on essential public services.

“We have been planning for this budget for months, but it is clear that difficult decisions are inevitable in the coming weeks. 

“My priority will be to protect the Borders from the crisis that is facing so many services nationally and I am happy to work with any other councillors to achieve this.”

A statement issued by Borders Conservatives said: “As SBC continues to urge residents to have their say over spending priorities, new analysis has found that Scottish Borders Council’s budget has fallen to its lowest ever figure since 2013.

“Since 2013, SBC’s budget has been cut by £18.5m or nearly nine per cent.”

But Tweeddale East councillor Stuart Bell (SNP) has labelled the claims as “mischievous”, adding: “The local Tories’ scare story on the forthcoming Scottish Borders Council budget is premature poppycock.

“This is premature because the Scottish Government has not yet finalised its 2018-19 budget so Scottish Borders Council does not know the final settlement. 

“If the Tories in Holyrood had their way, that settlement would be even worse because they oppose the Scottish income tax changes which will make our tax system the fairest in Britain.

“It is also poppycock, because, the SPICe report [written by the Scottish Government’s independent research team] shows that the average provisional revenue per head from the Government to the Borders for next year, at £1,738, is almost exactly at the Scottish average. 

“So we are not getting the lowest amount to spend on services. 

“Local government in Scotland does far better than south of the border where the full force of Tory austerity has had to be countered by the English councils who then have to set council tax bills £300 to £400 higher on average than in Scotland.

“Indeed this is mischievous poppycock because the local Tories know that the root of our local challenges is the chaotic Tory government in Westminster who since 2010/11 have reduced Scotland’s spending power by 9.2 per cent.”

SBC is currently running an online consultation to find out where residents want money to be spent.

Visit: http://scotborders.dialogue-app.com/help-shape-our-budget, for more information.