North Ayrshire Council’s Labour administration has refused to accept the SNP’s draft budget which, it says, will see £3.5million returned to the council’s coffers.
The budget, passed at Stage 1 of the Scottish Parliamentary process, will still see the council’s revenue budget cut by £5.7million and the Labour administration has promised to continue fighting for a fair deal.
Derek Mackay, the SNP’s Finance Secretary, demanded council leaders accept his draft budget ‘offer’, which involved a £9.2million cut in North Ayrshire Council’s revenue budget, by January 20, and threatened to impose a ‘worse settlement’ on local authorities which didn’t accept it. NAC leader Joe Cullinane refused to accept Mr Mackay’s offer of cuts.