Investing in Our Future

As an amendment to motion S5M-20528 in the name of Sarah Boyack (Investing in Our Future), leave out from “fair funding settlements” to end and insert "both fair funding and financial powers to local government; recognises that local government has a pivotal role to play in looking after people, allowing them dignity and independence throughout life and providing quality care and support in their community; believes that local government has a crucial role to play in tackling some of the defining challenges facing all of Scotland’s communities, from the climate emergency to the drugs death epidemic; regrets that local government has experienced an unacceptable level of public sector spending cuts since the financial crisis of 2007-8 and the policy of austerity imposed by the UK Government; recognises that other policy changes, such as welfare reform, have resulted in increased demand for local services over the same period; acknowledges that Scottish budget choices since 2016 have helped the financial position of local government, both in terms of direct funding and local tax powers, and calls on the Scottish Government and all political parties to redouble their efforts to achieve further fiscal devolution to local government and the replacement of Council Tax with a modern, sustainable and progressive system of local land and property taxation."