The call comes after the First Minister announced plans to “declutter” Scotland’s public sector by reducing the number of health boards, councils and public bodies.
SNP Perth and Kinross Council (PKC) leader Eric Drysdale has pledged to ensure the local authority is fully involved in discussions about public sector reform.
First Minister – and Perthshire North MSP – John Swinney recently announced plans to “declutter” Scotland’s public sector as part of his Programme for Government by reducing the number of health boards, councils and public bodies.
Leaders of opposition groups within PKC responded with scepticism to the proposal and Cllr Drysdale has vowed to listen to their views “and help ensure that Perth and Kinross is represented in a balanced, constructive and informed way”.
Presenting his Programme for Government, Mr Swinney said he wanted to “rewire” the public sector and cut the current 14 territorial health boards to “two strategic health boards” and “empowering regions and communities” with “a need for regional local government”.
Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Murdo Fraser slammed the move as “an attempt to distract from the dire state of local authority funding and shows that the government is now in panic mode to repair the public finances, which they have so poorly managed over the past 20 years”.
Speaking on behalf of PKC’s Independent group, Provost Xander McDade said they were “strongly opposed to any further centralisation of services either of councils or of health and social care”. They argued Perth and Kinross Council was already a merger of two historic counties and 10 historic burghs.
PKC’s Liberal Democrat group said they were “champions of strong local democracy and accountability” and argued PKC was already collaborating with other councils in Tayside through the Tay Cities Deal and Tayside Contracts.
They also suggested reducing the number of mainland health boards “looks like the reintroduction of a National Care Service by the back door”.
Labour councillor Alasdair Bailey was “surprised” by Mr Swinney’s announcement and said he “would far rather he focused on properly funding the bodies we have rather than merging them”.
However, SNP council leader Eric Drysdale believes “it would be premature to take a firm view on the proposals at this stage” and is open to further discussion.
The Perth City Centre ward councillor said: “Understandably these announcements will raise questions and concerns for residents, staff and partner organisations about what they could mean in practice.
“But there is still a great deal of detail to be worked through and it would be premature to take a firm view on the proposals at this stage, recognising there are likely to be both challenges to face and opportunities to embrace. The priority for me is to ensure that Perth and Kinross Council is fully involved in the discussions ahead, helping to shape the future rather than simply sitting back waiting for the changes.
“Our local perspectives need to be heard, and I shall ensure that they will be, so that the interests of our communities are properly reflected in how these reforms are developed.
“I am keen for Perth and Kinross to play an active role in that conversation, both locally and nationally, both in the run up to the Public Sector Reform Summit taking place in Edinburgh at the end of this month and in the weeks and months that follow. I shall also be engaging next week with the other political group leaders on the council to understand their views and help ensure that Perth and Kinross is represented in a balanced, constructive and informed way.
“These are important discussions about the future of public services in Scotland and I am committed to keeping an open mind and working positively with partners to help secure the best outcomes for our communities.”
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