Moray MP Douglas Ross and Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston have demanded that Finance Minister Derek Mackay acts to support essential services in Moray. Mr Mackay is scheduled to visit Moray on Tuesday.
Douglas said: “Moray Council is facing a black hole in its finances as it receives a very poor financial settlement from the Scottish Government. The SNP keeps imposing more responsibilities on the council while cutting its budget. In recent months a cross-party delegation of councillors met Derek Mackay to plead Moray’s case and the new Council Leader has also had a meeting with him. As he visits Moray we need Derek Mackay to announce increased funding for the area, something councillors in all parties have been calling for. We need an announcement about a significant increase in the revenue funding for the Council to save vital local services. The Cabinet Secretary can’t just come to Moray with warm words, we need more funding. The SNP Scottish Government always seems to have plenty of money for its favoured schemes, particularly those in the Central Belt, so there is no excuse for continued inaction.”
Jamie said: “In a week when local people have been on the streets protesting about the downgrading of maternity services at Dr Gray’s, it is quite clear what a raw deal Moray receives. Our local health board, NHS Grampian, as well as Moray Council, are among the worst-funded in Scotland. This is despite the fact that both organisations are serving a large and diverse rural area with a greater than average number of elderly people who require support.
“Both Douglas and I receive huge numbers of messages from local people at their wits’ end because of this. It really is about time that Nicola Sturgeon and Derek Mackay woke up to the fact that they have a duty of care to all the people of Scotland and not just those in the Central Belt.”