A Scottish council is still unable to access some of its data after a cyber attack locked staff out of operational and back-up servers.
08.11.2023 - 14:57 / dailyrecord.co.uk
Council tax in Edinburgh would have to rise by 20 per cent to offset a massive cuts programme, the Record can reveal.
Edinburgh Council leader Cammy Day said the council tax freeze planned by the Scottish Government will have to be “fully funded” if cuts are to be avoided.
Humza Yousaf angered local government leaders last month when he announced a national council tax freeze.
Council chiefs were kept in the dark and believe the freeze will lead to huge cuts.
Funding a freeze based on an estimated 8 per cent rise across the country would cost over £400 million, but council leaders believe even more funding is required to fully offset tax rises in every part of Scotland.
Figures seen by the Record show Edinburgh’s funding gap, which includes health and social care services, stands at £58.6m.
It is believed the required rise in council tax to wipe out the black hole would be 20pc.
Cammy Day, who leads a minority Labour administration, said: “We’ve yet to hear from the FM what support will be given to local councils like the City of Edinburgh on the surprising announcement of a potential council tax freeze."
He said of the prospect of councils not determining their own increases:
“Any proposals to take this democratic decision and accountability away from local councils must be fully funded, or cuts will have to be made. Through COSLA we have written to the First Minister asking for clarity of this surprise announcement contrary to the agreement recently signed between the First Minister and local councils.”
Norman Hampshire, leader of East Lothian council, has also warned the Government will need to provide a massive funding increase to fund a freeze.
In a letter to the First Minister, he wrote: “The funding gap we are now facing
A Scottish council is still unable to access some of its data after a cyber attack locked staff out of operational and back-up servers.
There is no better indicator that the Christmas season is underway than the opening of Christmas markets across Scotland.
Outlander’s Sam Heughan has opened up on his love for James Bond as the jury remains out on who will be next to take on the iconic role.
There were so many celebs in attendance at the 2023 GQ Men of the Year party in Los Angeles this year, with Kim Kardashian, Megan Thee Stallion, and Megan Fox among those bringing star power to the event.
A new study has revealed the best city in Scotland for a night out, and it is neither Glasgow nor Edinburgh.
A major road in Edinburgh has been locked down following an incident with drivers told to avoid the area.
Lorraine Kelly was left apologising as she returned to screens as she promised her ITV co-stars and viewers "it won't happen again". The presenter was back fronting her self-titled show on Wednesday (November 8) after returning earlier this week following her half-term break.
Staff from Perth and Kinross Council’s housing service have claimed a prestigious national award for their work to resettle people fleeing the war in Ukraine.
The leader of one of Scotland’s biggest homeless charities has welcomed a “tipping point” that will force the supply of thousands of Scots proper homes.
Scots businesses were forced to close early and lose out on profit during chaotic scenes in Edinburgh on Bonfire Night as gangs of youths attacked homes and police officers.
Local authority chiefs have been planning council tax rises of 10 per cent - piling pressure on Humza Yousaf to say how his government will pay for a freeze.
Police raced to an Edinburgh street earlier today after reports of 'shooting at a house'.
Assessing the full damage caused by Storm Babet has been made more difficult by ongoing rainfall, a Scottish Government minister has said.
The date for Rochdale's Christmas lights switch-on has been confirmed as the borough prepares to welcome the festive season in 2023.
Emergency crews raced to a block of Edinburgh flats amid an ongoing incident.
The Princess Royal was apparently captured travelling through Edinburgh with a police escort.
The lawyer for the family of a teenage boy who took his own life just 48 hours after being remanded in prison has demanded safeguards protecting children in Scotland's criminal justice system be probed.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he will support a freeze on council tax if it is properly funded by the SNP-led Government.
Millions of households across Great Britain are set to receive the next instalment of the £900 cost of living payment support before November 19, which is worth £300, with a further £299 is due next Spring. Payments for people on means-tested benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will receive the money between today (October 31) and November 19, while those on Tax Credits will be paid between November 10-19, 2023.
Auditors have scrutinised the running of Dumfries and Galloway Council and flagged up six areas for improvement.