Scottish Government should abandon social care cuts, says Labour hopeful Fagan

Scottish Labour leadership hopeful Joe Fagan has urged the Scottish Government to halt plans for social care cuts and instead increase funding by £750 million. The former South Lanarkshire Council leader, who will run against Michael Marra after Anas Sarwar joined the UK government, argues that the SNP's current proposals will lead to a real-terms reduction in day-to-day health and social care spending this year.

Fagan contends that councils have endured disproportionate cuts under the SNP administration for too long and that the additional £750 million should be allocated specifically for social care. He emphasizes that ministers cannot allocate funds to social care while simultaneously removing resources from local government. Fagan, who previously led one of Scotland's largest local authorities, urges the Scottish Government to trust councils with decision-making and resource allocation, as they are more attuned to the needs of communities.

His three key demands include shifting resources into councils and communities, providing a minimum £15-an-hour rate for social care workers, and ending real-terms cuts. The Scottish Government responded by stating that councils received £15.7 billion in the upcoming budget, following years of real-terms increases, and that future local government finance settlements will be negotiated with Cosla.