Kate Dean

Well, here I am, with a brand new web site, and a brand new blog.  I’ve never administered a website before, and I’ve certainly never blogged, so I’m relishing the thought of learning new skills.

It’s Budget Day in Aberdeen, as it is in most Councils across Scotland.  It’s expected that Council Tax will remain frozen, so the challenges for Councillors are immense, in attempting to satisfy the demands of all citizens, within a very limited funding settlement.

As I type this, there is a protest going on outside the Town House, by Trades Unions, and groups of service users who expect to be adverseley affected by the decisions we are about to make.

I would remind them that Aberdeen City is the second-lowest funded Council in Scotland.  Aberdeen will receive £1,740 per head next financial year, compared to the Scottish average of £2,063.  Among our comparator urban local authorities, Glasgow will receive £2,466 per head, West Dunbartonshire £2,379, Dundee £2,243, North Lanarkshire £2,050, Renfrewshire £2,043 and Edinburgh £1,719. Edinburgh receives an extra capital city grant allocation of £3.5 million.  That can’t be considered fair, by any stretch of the imagination.

Please take a minute to sign our petition, calling for a Fair Deal for Aberdeen, by following this link:

http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/fairdealforaberdeen

Kate