Reflections of a new council leader – East Renfrewshire

I was first elected as a councillor in May 2022 and privileged to be appointed leader of East Renfrewshire Council running a Labour-led minority administration. No-one enters political office with the intention of cutting services. We enter public office to invest in improving the lives of the people we serve. However, the financial landscape has meant trading off least-worst options to cuts in vital services, something no politician wants to consider.

East Renfrewshire Council does not face a shortage of challenges. The financial settlements in my time as leader have been grim.  We have faced flat cash settlements at a time when inflation has gone through the roof and costs remain high. This is on top of 15 years of austerity-driven cuts to services. Councils are running out of road and rapidly running out of reserves. The future looks bleak. We are dealing with a cost of living crisis which has not gone away. We were lucky to have some Covid recovery funds which we could direct to cost of living programmes for our residents but that cash has now run dry and there is limited ongoing direct relief we can now offer.

We are facing a housing emergency – just the same as every other council in Scotland, and we don’t have the land or capital to build our way out of the problem. Cuts in the national housing supply grant has delayed new-build projects. Our demographics aren’t helping us. East Renfrewshire has the highest proportion of over- 80s in Scotland and it is our fastest growing demographic.  This is putting unprecedented pressures on our HSCP which is struggling with increased frailty of the elderly coming out of the pandemic accentuated by the huge increase in waiting lists for hospital treatment. This is driving our volumes of prescriptions higher at a time when drug prices are also rising.  This is a perfect storm which has relied on the imperfect solution to restrict access to services to those with substantial and critical needs only. This has been a heart-breaking decision for the HSCP but one where we had no choice and where there is no least-worst option.  

Furthermore, for the last two and half years it seems like we have  been in constant negotiations on pay with our Trade Unions who are quite rightly  protecting their members while councils fight with the Scottish Government to squeeze out more funds to pay for deserved pay rises. This is an unsustainable process and disrespectful to our employees and councils. If councils were adequately funded we would have no need to involve the Scottish Government and disputes would be resolved much more quickly.

And finally we have had a council tax freeze imposed on us with no notice and only partial compensation for what councils would have asked of our residents. With all these challenges it feels as if we have been fighting with one hand tied behind our back and with a huge ball and chain shackled to our ankles.

But what are we to do?  Give up and hand back the keys?  Not a chance.  

We remain determined to navigate a path through the financial distress we are under. Our officers have been exemplary in their resilience, hard work and focus to help us make the best decisions possible. It is by no means all doom and gloom. East Renfrewshire is a small council and punches above its weight. Its size gives it agility and means we have less silo working than in larger councils. Prioritisation and good working relations with councillors make it a little easier to forge our way forward.  I would argue we are one of the best run councils in Scotland – our long-running leadership position in education alone could justify that accolade.

It is of some comfort but doesn’t make me sleep better to know all councils in Scotland are facing the same challenges. It is a greater comfort to know that within Cosla we have a unified voice and mission to protect services across Scotland.

If now is not the time to unlock the shackles on councils, when is?