johnr
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 1,944
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Post by johnr on Sept 2, 2015 5:27:34 GMT
If you want unsubstnatiated rumours, I heard that the SNP are considering a re-organisation of local Government (on the basis of saving money by merging councils), so the two may be related.
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john07
Labour & Co-operative
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Post by john07 on Sept 2, 2015 13:35:15 GMT
If you want unsubstnatiated rumours, I heard that the SNP are considering a re-organisation of local Government (on the basis of saving money by merging councils), so the two may be related. If their treatment of the police and fire services is any guide, they will merge all Scottish local authorities into one unit. One country, one people, one party.
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tim
UKIP
Posts: 602
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Post by tim on Sept 2, 2015 15:12:46 GMT
If you want unsubstnatiated rumours, I heard that the SNP are considering a re-organisation of local Government (on the basis of saving money by merging councils), so the two may be related. And would merging councils get rid of the smaller non-SNP councils …… er I mean inefficient councils As Scottish councils have on average twice the debt of English and Welsh councils then there could be a few arguments over the debt consolidation it would require.
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Tony Otim
Green
Suffering from Brexistential Despair
Posts: 11,288
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Post by Tony Otim on Sept 3, 2015 10:12:49 GMT
If you want unsubstnatiated rumours, I heard that the SNP are considering a re-organisation of local Government (on the basis of saving money by merging councils), so the two may be related. That's hardly unsubstantiated - that idea has been being talked about for years. I think I've even seen some of the proposals for the ways that it could work. Councils in some areas are already or are exploring possibilities of sharing some services like HR, etc... to reduce costs.
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piperdave
SNP
Dalkeith; Midlothian/North & Musselburgh
Posts: 909
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Post by piperdave on Sept 3, 2015 19:07:32 GMT
Any time the question has been posed, Ministers (including John Swinney) have ruled out local government reorganisation emphatically. There will be no reorganisation in this Parliament and the process of consulting and formulating the legislation for a new configuration would take substantially longer than the 9 months prior to the 2017 elections. I don't see there being much political appetite for more reform and reorganisation unless it is demanded from councils themselves and there's no sign of that as far as I can see.
The boundary proposals as we know are still being consulted on and, if you look at the difference between the Commission's initial proposals and what is being consulted on after discussions with the councils, some local authorities obviously presented very good cases to get what they wanted out of it. So maybe those that didn't get what they wanted (overall council size apart) can marshall their arguments better during this phase.
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Post by afleitch on Sept 3, 2015 21:18:43 GMT
What short memories we all have. Remember the 1996 re-organisation was entirely partisan designed to protect Conservative fiefdoms. Even Dundee was cut back so that Tory leaning areas were put into Angus to give them a shot there. Of course, the Tories collapsed anyway.
I think a re-organisation is likely (as in Northern Ireland and potentially Wales), probably similar to the 1974-1996 Regions less Strathclyde, but it won't be on the cards for a decade.
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johnr
Labour & Co-operative
Posts: 1,944
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Post by johnr on Sept 4, 2015 7:46:25 GMT
Any time the question has been posed, Ministers (including John Swinney) have ruled out local government reorganisation emphatically. There will be no reorganisation in this Parliament and the process of consulting and formulating the legislation for a new configuration would take substantially longer than the 9 months prior to the 2017 elections. I don't see there being much political appetite for more reform and reorganisation unless it is demanded from councils themselves and there's no sign of that as far as I can see. The boundary proposals as we know are still being consulted on and, if you look at the difference between the Commission's initial proposals and what is being consulted on after discussions with the councils, some local authorities obviously presented very good cases to get what they wanted out of it. So maybe those that didn't get what they wanted (overall council size apart) can marshall their arguments better during this phase. I think their denials have been less than emphatic - and I dont think anyone is suggesting a reorganisation in this parliament. It has less than 9 months to run.... Could it appear in a party manifesto for next May? Of course. And since the SNP are so certain their re-organisation of the POlice and Fire Services has gone so very well, I'm sure they will move on to local authorities.
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Post by afleitch on May 26, 2016 10:45:21 GMT
Final recommendations published today.
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Post by edinburghtory on May 26, 2016 11:53:27 GMT
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 15:47:56 GMT
Notional results for Edinburgh from 2012 on the final recommendations:
Almond: SNP Con LD Lab Pentland Hills: SNP Lab Con Con Drum Brae & Gyle: Lab SNP LD Forth: Lab Con SNP Lab Inverleith: Lab Grn Con SNP Corstorphine & Murrayfield: Con SNP LD Sighthill & Gorgie: Lab SNP Lab SNP Colinton & Fairmilehead: Con Con SNP Fountainbridge & Craiglockhart: Grn Lab SNP Morningside: Con Grn Lab SNP City Centre: Con SNP Lab Grn Leith Walk: SNP Lab Grn Lab Leith: Lab Grn SNP Craigentinny & Duddingston: SNP Lab Lab SNP Southside & Newington: Grn Lab SNP Con Liberton & Gilmerton: Lab Lab SNP Con Portobello & Craigmillar: Lab SNP Lab Grn
Totals with changes based on actual results: Lab 20 (/), SNP 19 (+1), Con 12 (+1), Grn 8 (+2), LD 3 (/)
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Post by edinburghtory on Sept 13, 2016 9:50:26 GMT
Has anyone heard news on whether the SNP intend on bringing these boundary changes to the Scottish Parliament any time soon?
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2016 17:36:13 GMT
I heard that the Minister's decision will be announced within the next couple of weeks. That was not from someone in the Government though.
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Post by edinburghtory on Sept 14, 2016 12:45:19 GMT
Scottish Government has declared that 25 of the 32 proposed changes will go ahead. The following councils will change- Aberdeen City Aberdeenshire Angus Clackmannanshire Dumfries and Galloway East Ayrshire East Dunbartonshire East Lothian East Renfrewshire Edinburgh Falkirk Fife Glasgow City Highland Inverclyde Midlothian Moray North Ayrshire North Lanarkshire Perth and Kinross Renfrewshire South Ayrshire South Lanarkshire Stirling West Dunbartonshire news.scotland.gov.uk/News/Council-ward-boundaries-agreed-2afb.aspx
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Sept 14, 2016 21:14:35 GMT
The three islands authorities wards won't be changed, because of an upcoming law which will change the governance of the islands and allow 1 and 2-seaters on islands.
Argyll and Bute, Dundee City and Borders won't change, due to "significant" concerns.
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Post by lancastrian on Sept 14, 2016 21:33:29 GMT
What's happening with West Lothian? It's not mentioned anywhere, but if 25 of 32 recommendations are to be implemented, there must be a seventh that isn't.
What are the actual reasons for rejecting the changes in some places? Can the government just pick and choose which recommendations to accept?
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maxque
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Post by maxque on Sept 14, 2016 21:42:44 GMT
What's happening with West Lothian? It's not mentioned anywhere, but if 25 of 32 recommendations are to be implemented, there must be a seventh that isn't. What are the actual reasons for rejecting the changes in some places? Can the government just pick and choose which recommendations to accept? The proposal was to change nothing, so no action required.
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Post by afleitch on Sept 15, 2016 6:02:12 GMT
What Broughty Ferry wants Broughty Ferry gets
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Eastwood
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Post by Eastwood on Sept 26, 2016 11:12:53 GMT
The three islands authorities wards won't be changed, because of an upcoming law which will change the governance of the islands and allow 1 and 2-seaters on islands. Argyll and Bute, Dundee City and Borders won't change, due to "significant" concerns. Argyll & Bute could also benefit from the proposed 1 and 2 seaters from the islands bill. The obvious ones would seem to be: Mull (1 member) Tiree & Coll (1 member) Islay, Jura & Colonsay (1 member) Bute (2 members) These would all fit well. Most of the other difficulties from the proposals were from wards which crossed the four administrative area boundaries (especially the proposed Mid Argyll ward). These would be easier to avoid with the islands allowed more flexibility on number of members and electoral parity. North Ayrshire would also benefit from having Arran as a 1 member ward. Cumbrae I'm less convinced by as the population is a little too small and it fits better with Largs than Arran does with Ardrossan. In Highland Skye is it's own ward anyway while the rest of the islands are too small.
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Eastwood
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Post by Eastwood on Sept 26, 2016 11:13:32 GMT
What's happening with West Lothian? A new West Lothian question ? That makes you Enoch Powell then ;-)
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Post by afleitch on Sept 26, 2016 19:29:12 GMT
The three islands authorities wards won't be changed, because of an upcoming law which will change the governance of the islands and allow 1 and 2-seaters on islands. Argyll and Bute, Dundee City and Borders won't change, due to "significant" concerns. Argyll & Bute could also benefit from the proposed 1 and 2 seaters from the islands bill. The obvious ones would seem to be: Mull (1 member) Tiree & Coll (1 member) Islay, Jura & Colonsay (1 member) Bute (2 members) These would all fit well. Most of the other difficulties from the proposals were from wards which crossed the four administrative area boundaries (especially the proposed Mid Argyll ward). These would be easier to avoid with the islands allowed more flexibility on number of members and electoral parity. North Ayrshire would also benefit from having Arran as a 1 member ward. Cumbrae I'm less convinced by as the population is a little too small and it fits better with Largs than Arran does with Ardrossan. In Highland Skye is it's own ward anyway while the rest of the islands are too small. I think the bill is good in that Island communities shouldn't be an afterthought, which they often are when it comes to local government. Adding a few extra wwards around Scottish councils isn't going to upset things too much; local councils are supposed to be well..local. Though I'm someone who thinks councils are too large anyway, given that since reorganisation we now have a Parliament, so councils should be a little smaller and a little more empowered.
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