For budget-setting it seems that Edinburgh City Council is in a state of permacrisis. This year we have crises in housing, climate, nature, homelessness and health and social care to address.
In particular the Integration Joint Board, which operates health and social care for the council and the NHS, seeks to make savings of £33 million, leaving the community charities it once supported in danger of folding.
In the recent past councils have set budgets with one hand tied behind their back – with the Scottish government limiting not just what can be raised via council tax but other means of fundraising such as the coming visitor levy, which the government dragged its feet on until Greens were part of it.
This year we are not quite free to fund raise as we choose but the restraints have been loosened and that gives us the opportunity to be bolder.
Green budgets are always written to advance the twin causes of climate and social justice and this budget will be no different in that regard.
The projection of community charities is particularly close to my heart as The Ripple in my ward is one of those facing the loss of core funding. Green councillors feel strongly that organisations like this do much to prevent loneliness and ill health.
To that end we will ensure there is enough money for the council to provide a safety net to those charities and allow them to continue their good work.
In order to address the crises in housing and homelessness our housing spokesperson, Ben Parker, has been pushing for Edinburgh to be able to use our ‘general’ fund to build new homes.
It will probably come as a surprise to most readers that we cannot already do that but currently – unless we get permission from the Scottish government – if we want to build new council homes then current council tenants have to pay for it through their rent!
Obviously the sell-off of council homes, without replacement, initiated by the Tory government in the 80s has left us a legacy of far fewer tenants paying those rents.
Therefore we intend to present a budget which will make that request and hope the Scottish government see, as we do, the natural justice in the whole city paying for new council housing.
The Green budget will be bold; we hope other parties will be bold as well.
Cllr Alex Staniforth, Scottish Green council finance spokesperson