Worst deal of all?

At the risk of being shot down in flames, I would be grateful if someone more politically astute than I might explain why, when Scotland’s real-terms revenue funding from Westminster between 2010 and 2017 has dropped by 9.2 per cent, the SNP has disproportionately reduced Shetland’s funding by 21.7 per cent – the worst “deal” out of all 32 of Scotland’s local authorities?

To put this into context I would draw the reader’s attention to the paragraph numbered 11 on page 11 of the referenced Audit Scotland report, which states, “For example, Scottish Government funding for Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and Shetland Islands Council will reduce by over 20 per cent between 2010/11 and funding proposed in 2017/18, whereas 21 councils saw a reduction of less than ten per cent”.

That, according to the Audit Scotland report, would make the SNP austerity package delivered to Shetland well in excess of twice the level of Westminster’s conservative government’s funding cuts to Scotland.

I look forward to reading replies with reference-able figures that can clearly show evidence to the contrary. (ref. ‘Local government in Scotland: Performance and challenges 2017’, prepared by Audit Scotland March 2017, pages 9&11).

Ross Gazey

Baltasound, Unst