West Lothian set for cuts over £30m budget defecit

MAJOR cuts to services are expected to be made in West Lothian after the council announced it was facing a £30 million budget deficit.

John McGinty

The Labour-run authority must address the multi-million pound black hole over the next three years, against a backdrop of more than £40 million cuts made by the local authority over the last five years.

West Lothian’s proposals include cuts ranging from nursery provision to public transport and social care.

Council leader John McGinty said: “No-one should underestimate the difficult decisions that lie ahead.

“We don’t have any choice in that we must reduce spending and increase out income so that we can meet our £30.4 million budget gap.”

West Lothian Council has started a public consultation into how it can make savings.

Experts have warned that local government will feel the pinch in a post-referendum Scotland.

Professor Richard Kerley, a local government expert at Queen Margaret University, said that many other councils were likely to join West Lothian in announcing large budget deficits over the next few months.