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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council set to leave Cosla for new body | Aberdeen City Council set to leave Cosla for new body |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Aberdeen City Council is expected to confirm that it is quitting the local government body Cosla to join a new rival group. | Aberdeen City Council is expected to confirm that it is quitting the local government body Cosla to join a new rival group. |
| Three other councils are expected to follow after years of dissatisfaction with the local government organisation. | Three other councils are expected to follow after years of dissatisfaction with the local government organisation. |
| Glasgow, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire will join Aberdeen in a new Labour block of authorities, called the Scottish Local Government Partnership. | Glasgow, Renfrewshire and South Lanarkshire will join Aberdeen in a new Labour block of authorities, called the Scottish Local Government Partnership. |
| Cosla currently represents all 32 Scottish local authorities. | Cosla currently represents all 32 Scottish local authorities. |
| It acts on behalf of the councils when it comes to collective bargaining with government and other institutions. | It acts on behalf of the councils when it comes to collective bargaining with government and other institutions. |
| How government money for councils is split is decided by Cosla. | How government money for councils is split is decided by Cosla. |
| Successive administrations in Aberdeen have argued that the city gets a poor deal in funding allocations from the Scottish government. | Successive administrations in Aberdeen have argued that the city gets a poor deal in funding allocations from the Scottish government. |
| Aberdeen signalled its intention to leave last year, presenting Cosla with 12-months' notice. | Aberdeen signalled its intention to leave last year, presenting Cosla with 12-months' notice. |
| On Wednesday, the Labour-led council in Aberdeen is expected to agree to leave and form a new negotiating group along with three other Labour councils. | On Wednesday, the Labour-led council in Aberdeen is expected to agree to leave and form a new negotiating group along with three other Labour councils. |
| Jenny Laing, leader of Aberdeen City Council, told BBC Scotland: "We have felt for a long time that Aberdeen's voice was not being heard within Cosla. | |
| "We've obviously got issues around our funding settlement, having been the lowest funded council in Scotland for some time. | "We've obviously got issues around our funding settlement, having been the lowest funded council in Scotland for some time. |
| "It is important for us, and me as a council leader, that we are getting that message across to Scottish government. | "It is important for us, and me as a council leader, that we are getting that message across to Scottish government. |
| "We don't feel we can do that through Cosla and we are looking for other ways in which we can." | "We don't feel we can do that through Cosla and we are looking for other ways in which we can." |
| She will be the convener of the new four-council Labour block. | She will be the convener of the new four-council Labour block. |
| Fix from within | Fix from within |
| Ms Laing believes the move will give break-away local authorities a strong voice in negotiations. | Ms Laing believes the move will give break-away local authorities a strong voice in negotiations. |
| She said: "I don't feel that Scottish government can prevent the four councils, which do represent 25% of the Scottish population, from being at that negotiating table. | She said: "I don't feel that Scottish government can prevent the four councils, which do represent 25% of the Scottish population, from being at that negotiating table. |
| "I would hope that they would see sense around that, they would understand that we need to be there, we need to have influence within that and I look forward to working with them on that basis." | "I would hope that they would see sense around that, they would understand that we need to be there, we need to have influence within that and I look forward to working with them on that basis." |
| Aberdeen City Council SNP councillor Graham Dickson said the way to fix Cosla was from within. | Aberdeen City Council SNP councillor Graham Dickson said the way to fix Cosla was from within. |
| He said: "What we will be losing is a great deal of expertise and a lot of other additional services that we get out of it. | He said: "What we will be losing is a great deal of expertise and a lot of other additional services that we get out of it. |
| "It is not a perfect organisation but it certainly is a lot better than we are going to do ourselves. | "It is not a perfect organisation but it certainly is a lot better than we are going to do ourselves. |
| "This is going to cost us more money to leave. It is going to cost us money in terms of setting up new people to do jobs that already being done by other people. | "This is going to cost us more money to leave. It is going to cost us money in terms of setting up new people to do jobs that already being done by other people. |
| "Overall I think Aberdeen is losing out from what really is just Labour having a knock-about with the Scottish government." | "Overall I think Aberdeen is losing out from what really is just Labour having a knock-about with the Scottish government." |
| Cosla insisted it did not signal the end for its organisation and that the four were welcome to rejoin at any time. | Cosla insisted it did not signal the end for its organisation and that the four were welcome to rejoin at any time. |