Lib Dems pledge extra powers for Scottish councils

The Scottish Lib Dems have pledged to channel extra powers to local authorities as part of the party's campaign for May's elections.

All 32 of Scotland's councils are holding elections on 5 May.

The Lib Dems wants to give councillors more control over funding, transport, planning, energy and housing.

Leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said too many policies were set by central government ministers who are "far from the consequences of their decisions".

He launched the party's manifesto for the elections on Wednesday morning, pledging to deliver a "power surge for local authorities".

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The Lib Dems won 67 seats in the last round of council elections in 2017, the party's lowest total since 1995.

Mr Cole-Hamilton - who took over as leader from Willie Rennie in August 2021 - said he wanted to see "powerful and well-run local councils with a can-do, will-do attitude".

He said: "That means giving local communities more power over economic development, planning and transport and ending the SNP power grab that will see decisions over social work, children's services and community justice taken by distant ministers far from the consequences of their decisions.

"Our councillors and candidates are thrilled by the idea of what community can mean. We see the best in people and we want the best for them. If something isn't working, then we try to fix it."

Manifesto commitments included a replacement for the council tax, as well as more control for councillors over local rates and spending decisions.

The party is opposed to Holyrood setting policies for local services including social work, children's services, community justice and alcohol and drug services.

Its other manifesto pledges include:

• New health staff in every GP practice to boost early diagnosis and bring down waits for help across the country

• The rollout of hundreds more counsellors in schools and ramping up of training so every workplace can get the benefit of a mental health first aider

• Long Covid clinics in every region and in-home nurse support for sufferers

• A comprehensive new education recovery plan

• Tackle the "chronically poor condition" of local roads to make them safer for walking, wheeling, cycling and driving.

• The protection of council budgets

The party said it would work with council umbrella group Cosla to develop "a new vision for local councils with a suite of new powers", covering economic strategy, transport, town planning and funding for affordable housing.

And it said planning decisions should be made locally instead of being "overruled nationally" by the Scottish ministers.

The elections will be held across Scotland on 5 May, with the votes to be counted electronically the following day at 32 dedicated counting centres across the country..

Less than half of the electorate turned out for the last election in 2017, but the National Records of Scotland has reported a sharp rise in the number of people registered for postal ballots, saying this was most likely driven by the Covid pandemic.