Glasgow Labour MSPs must stand up against Downing Street cuts 

Labour’s new Local Government Spokesman, Michael McMahon MSP has got his figures badly wrong in relation to Council funding from the Scottish Government. Mr McMahon claimed that local government funding was falling under the SNP, despite official figures showing that at 34.1% of the overall Scottish budgets this year the SNP has improved the situation from the 33.4% in 2007-08 – the last budget of the previous administration. It is now clear that Labour are more concerned in trying to manipulate the figures than standing up to Labour cuts from the UK.

Of the Labour own goal SNP MSP for Glasgow Bob Doris said: "Its a bit rich of Glasgow Labour to moan about cuts given that UK Labour are axing of £500m from the Scottish Government budget.

"Labour figures are plain wrong. The SNP Government are investing a higher share of our budget on local government services in Scottish council areas compared to the position inherited from the Labour and Lib Dem Executive. Money to Councils went down as a share of the Scottish budget under Labour and it took an SNP Government to reverse that trend. The figures are clear. In 2007-2008 Labour gave 33.4% of its budget to Local Government. This year the SNP Government will be giving 34.1% of our budget, a budget that has been slashed by UK Labour, to Local Government.

"Labour are deliberately trying to mislead people and draw attention away from their own London government's £500m cuts to Scotland. That it is yet another example of how no-one can believe a word Labour says. Labour in Glasgow should get a backbone and stand up to Downing Street. It is Gordon Brown that is ripping off Scotland".