LOCAL government services are buckling at the seams with more and more strain being placed on public services as the cuts deepen.

That was the main message from a speech Alex Rowley made in the Scottish Parliament when he urged the Scottish Government to scrap the council tax and invest in council services.

The mid Scotland and Fife MSP highlighted a new report on social care from Audit Scotland which shows that the number of elderly people in Scotland getting care at home has fallen 12%. The report also states that since 2011, the government in Edinburgh has cut more than £1billion from the budgets local councils across Scotland.

The Kelty based MSP said: “Over the last six years the Scottish Government budget has fallen as a result of failed Tory austerity, however, whilst the Scottish Government budget fell by 6% they have chosen to cut council services disproportionately by 11%. It cannot go on like this.

“While these cuts continue to take hold, and widespread reductions in the numbers of staff working in public services continue, the demand on the services continues to increase placing even greater strain and pressure on the staff left to deliver the services. This is not sustainable".

He added: “We have a growing elderly population, but social care for them has been cut.

"We are seeing increased demand in youth services, but those services are being cut. This failure to invest in councils who deliver children’s and social care services rebounds on our NHS, meaning more pressure on our hospitals. Ultimately these cuts mean less support for those who need it the most”.

Speaking in the debate on local taxation the Scottish Labour deputy leader set out an alternative to council tax as well as tax plans that would see an additional £500 million going into local public services.

He concluded: “Back in 1997 the SNP said they would get rid of council tax, that it was unfair and unworkable.

"Not only have they failed to do this but they have cut public services to the bone and in every community we are seeing the consequences of this with older people being denied care, younger peoples services being closed and a lack of investment in infrastructure and economic development. The impact of these cuts and the failure to invest for the future is short sighted and must be challenged”.