Green councillors in Edinburgh have criticised the Labour administration for again failing to prioritise people and planet in the city’s budget. The Labour budget passed at a meeting of the council on Thursday 20th with 35 councillors voting to approve the motion against 27 in opposition.
Cllr Alex Staniforth, the Green Group’s finance spokesperson said:
“The Green budget this year suggested radical new ways of investing in social housing, saw increased spending on climate and poverty initiatives, and proposed actions to make the city safer for everyone. But unfortunately Edinburgh’s Labour administration have once again bowed to their unofficial coalition partners in the Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties, and passed a timid budget devoid of ideas.
This is a missed opportunity for the people of Edinburgh who – facing a much-needed council tax increase – will expect to see positive changes to the city in return. Green proposals to improve accessibility, to build more public toilets, and to secure the future of Gorgie Farm, could all have been accepted if the Labour administration was not so focused on what is best for their own positions rather than the wellbeing of the people they were elected to help. Still, we remain optimistic that we have planted the seed for more radical, better and bolder budgets for Edinburgh in future.”
Speaking about the proposals to fund council houses from the general fund – something which has not been done by any local authority to date, Co-Convener of the Green Councillor Group Cllr Susan Rae said:
“Poverty is the biggest social injustice foisted on our children, young people and citizens. And the key to really dismantling the hold poverty has taken on our city for some those who struggle most is stable housing – better – housing. That doesn’t come with added mould, leaky windows, multiple repairs required or a temporary tenancy.
It’s fundamentally unjust that the ability of council tenants to pay a rent increase should dictate the council’s ability to build and upkeep homes, fit adaptations for disabled tenants, or retrofit buildings. We have proposed a solution to this problem, enabling an additional £6.6m to tackling the housing emergency, and it is shameful that Labour weren’t willing to adopt this solution themselves.”
Budget proposals from all groups can be viewed here: Agenda for City of Edinburgh Council on Thursday, 20th February, 2025, 10.00 am – Modern Council