The leader of the Labour Group and co-leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council Linda Doward has urged her fellow elected members to work together to meet the huge challenges facing the council over the next few years.
Linda, who represents Lochar Ward, was commenting after the Scottish Government published their spending review which proposed a cash flat budget for councils over the next three years. With inflation set to reach 10 per cent, it will mean a massive real terms cut in the local authorities budget.
Councillor Dorward said, “The people of Dumfries and Galloway elected a council with a diverse range of political viewpoints and no single group had a mandate to form an administration on their own. The clear message from the people of Dumfries and Galloway is they want all councillors to work together for the benefit of our region. Unless we do that, we won’t be able to tackle the enormous challenges our council faces over the next five years.”
She added: “There will be a lot of tough decisions to be made in coming months as our budget is squeezed yet again. I’m determined to use my role to harness the skills, knowledge and talents of all 43 elected members, to meet these challenges and produce a council plan that is fit for the next five years and brings all groups together.
“The new council are engaging in a way that does politics differently and believe we have found a way to agree on what’s best for local communities, seeking consensus on a case-by-case basis.”
