Labour Budget Proposals Call for Investment in Attainment Gap

Dundee City Council's Budget meeting was held today, Thursday.  It was sobering thought to have this important meeting on the day when Russia invaded Ukraine.  It was good that all groups on the council spoke against this act of aggression against democracy

 

Each year the Local Government settlement follows a similar pattern where the original proposals from the Scottish Government are absolutely unacceptable.  I acknowledge that the original settlement for this year has been improved upon

However, it would be good if we stopped this charade which happens each year.

 

Councils are offered a dreadful deal after a bit of a fuss councils are then given a terrible deal and try to make it look like it is something good.

 

We need to recognise that council services are important and that what we are trying to do is important.

 

I know that not everyone on this call agrees on everything but I think we are all trying to make Dundee a better place.

 

We also need to recognise that the pandemic has made crystal clear something that should have been clear before, that council workers are key workers.  I am sure every member of the council clapped for key workers ,we need a political situation which recognises the reality that those key workers are not given enough support.

 

Trying to make Dundee a better place is why the Labour Group has focused our budget on education.

 

The council recently spoke with one voice to protest against cuts to the Scottish Attainment Challenge Fund.  We have the opportunity today to speak with one voice again and to deliver investment in education.  Our comeback tutors would help some of the most disadvantaged young people in the city.

 

The Courier described the cuts to the Attainment Challenge as a False economy and I agree with that description.

It is important to remember that these possible economies, false or otherwise, in front of us today are not just numbers on a bit of paper or a computer screen to be deleted or recycled after the meeting is finished.  The false economy of cuts to the Attainment Challenge Fund will have costs for those already disadvantaged young people in Dundee for decades to come.

 

The Labour Group's education proposals call for investment in the future of these young people, we are also mindful that for many young people the pandemic has been a very difficult time, that is why we think the six social work posts which the Administration want to cut should be filled and retained to work with young people and families to address the educational recovery programme.

 

The Labour Group is very concerned about the future of Leisure and Culture Dundee.  In the face of closures due to the pandemic and now the ongoing closure at Olympia.  We want to support Leisure and Culture Dundee and encourage Dundonians to use leisure facilities to improve their physical and mental health.

 

We want to encourage local groups through a participatory budgeting approach to tell Leisure and Culture Dundee about the services their communities need.  We think that this will help local communities and will help Leisure and Culture Dundee recover.

 

I was pleased when the council agreed to support the Right to Food and to call for the abolition of Food Banks recently.  These are important aspirations but sadly they will not be fulfilled overnight.  That is why we think there should be extra spending food insecurity.  In 2022 it is a disgrace that anyone is going hungry in Dundee and we need to support those who are trying to deal with these problems.  We also want to spend money on warm clothes for winter for those who need it.  The weather today illustrates the need for this expenditure.

 

Despite some warm words about wanting to work together there was no real effort to try and make the Dundee City Council Budget better.  This was a missed opportunity.  We would have been prepared to discuss the Budget proposals further if the talk about wanting to listen to all parties in the council was genuine.  Instead SNP, Alba and independent councillors forced through a Budget that does not do enough for young people in our city.