Scotland has spent decades fighting for power to be devolved from Westminster to Holyrood. Whilst greater political autonomy has been achieved, the question of whether that power reaches local communities in Scotland is up for debate.
In September, the Scottish Government proposed a significant reform of local governance, replacing the current 32 councils in Scotland with between six and ten regional authorities and up to 160 smaller community authorities. The government argues that this approach would help balance the decision-making powers across the public sector, improving efficiency and ensuring public money is well spent.
But with councils already struggling to maintain essential services, is this reform of Scotland’s political map truly the answer? The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the councils’ umbrella organisation, has pushed back on this structural reform. They agree that a change is needed, but one that is more evidence-based.
Audit Scotland reported that local authorities faced a total £529m budget gap for 2026/27, despite a two per cent increase in Scottish Government funding. Funding evidently failed to keep pace with rising costs, growing demands for social care, and existing spending commitments. Meanwhile, council tax increased by an average of 7.7 per cent across Scotland this year.
The contradictions are impossible to ignore for residents. It raises a fundamental question about what political responsibility lies in Scotland. They want to see change, but change done the right way.
A number of responsibilities are devolved to Scottish councils, which are democratically elected and relied on by communities. However, their abilities are limited by their reliance on funding from Holyrood. When services lack, local councillors face public criticism, even when financial constraints are out of their control.
This raises an obvious imbalance. Responsibility is local, whilst financial power remains centralised.
The Government’s argument for reform is reasonable. They believe that larger regional authorities allow for greater collaboration between councils, less administration, and better coordination of public services in Scotland. But this restructure does not necessarily target the financial pressures looming over Scottish councils.
Cosla’s opposition is not to the reform itself but to the assumption that structural changes will solve the issues at hand. Without further financial autonomy and sufficient resources, redistributing existing problems will not help.
There is something ironic about a government advocating for greater local empowerment whilst continuing to exercise considerable control over resources available to empower them.
As Cosla advocates, conversations about the future of Scotland’s councils should question how effectively they are empowered rather than only how they are structured. Holyrood is committed to having responsibilities devolved from Westminster, so why should this not be extended to their local councils?
Photo by Maja R. on Unsplash.
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Scotland has spent decades fighting for power to be devolved from Westminster to Holyrood. Whilst greater political autonomy has been achieved, the question of whether that power reaches local communities in Scotland is up for debate.
In September, the Scottish Government proposed a significant reform of local governance, replacing the current 32 councils in Scotland with between six and ten regional authorities and up to 160 smaller community authorities. The government argues that this approach would help balance the decision-making powers across the public sector, improving efficiency and ensuring public money is well spent.
But with councils already struggling to maintain essential services, is this reform of Scotland’s political map truly the answer? The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla), the councils’ umbrella organisation, has pushed back on this structural reform. They agree that a change is needed, but one that is more evidence-based.
Audit Scotland reported that local authorities faced a total £529m budget gap for 2026/27, despite a two per cent increase in Scottish Government funding. Funding evidently failed to keep pace with rising costs, growing demands for social care, and existing spending commitments. Meanwhile, council tax increased by an average of 7.7 per cent across Scotland this year.
The contradictions are impossible to ignore for residents. It raises a fundamental question about what political responsibility lies in Scotland. They want to see change, but change done the right way.
A number of responsibilities are devolved to Scottish councils, which are democratically elected and relied on by communities. However, their abilities are limited by their reliance on funding from Holyrood. When services lack, local councillors face public criticism, even when financial constraints are out of their control.
This raises an obvious imbalance. Responsibility is local, whilst financial power remains centralised.
The Government’s argument for reform is reasonable. They believe that larger regional authorities allow for greater collaboration between councils, less administration, and better coordination of public services in Scotland. But this restructure does not necessarily target the financial pressures looming over Scottish councils.
Cosla’s opposition is not to the reform itself but to the assumption that structural changes will solve the issues at hand. Without further financial autonomy and sufficient resources, redistributing existing problems will not help.
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There is something ironic about a government advocating for greater local empowerment whilst continuing to exercise considerable control over resources available to empower them.
As Cosla advocates, conversations about the future of Scotland’s councils should question how effectively they are empowered rather than only how they are structured. Holyrood is committed to having responsibilities devolved from Westminster, so why should this not be extended to their local councils?
Photo by Maja R. on Unsplash.
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