When it comes to local councils, many Scots have the same basic expectations: bins emptied on time, streets swept, and roads gritted in winter. However, some of Scotland's 32 local authorities are struggling to deliver even those basic tasks, and public trust in councils is at an all-time low.
Councils Under Pressure
Much of the antipathy towards town halls is unfair. Councils have strict legal obligations they must meet regardless of financial constraints. They must provide adult and child social care at a time when demand is skyrocketing. Between 2020 and 2025, local authorities in Scotland spent £400 million on social care overtime and agency staff alone. Councils also must provide schools, a task that becomes more challenging in rural areas with aging populations and thinly spread families.
The story of local government across the UK since 2010 has been one of cutbacks, closures, and local anger slowly turning to widespread apathy. Street cleaning teams are cut to the bone, bin collections are now twice monthly, and local bus services rarely run on time.
Low Voter Turnout Expected
Local elections are scheduled for next May, but more than half of Scots are unlikely to vote, based on previous contests. The current system of 32 unitary local authorities was drawn up by John Major's Conservative Government in the early 1990s. Boundaries were gerrymandered to suit political realities of 35 years ago, with Glasgow particularly hard done by.
Since winning power in 2007, the SNP Government has shown no interest in reforming councils to better reflect the communities they serve. However, the success of Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Steve Rotheram in the Liverpool City Region demonstrates an alternative to Scotland's decaying system.
Directly-Elected Mayors as a Solution
Directly-elected mayors are not miracle workers—complaints about missed bin collections still occur in Manchester. But they offer a strong voice against central government and a recognised figurehead to negotiate for greater investment and autonomy. Scotland's council leaders are, with few exceptions, almost completely anonymous, unlike in the 1990s when municipal leaders were expected to be seen and heard.
Burnham is now on his way to Downing Street and has advocated for more devolution across the UK. His plan is vague on details but has not been well received by some in the SNP, who want more power for Holyrood, not councils. According to Chris McCall, some Nationalists argue that directly-elected mayors for Scotland's biggest cities would "undermine" the Scottish Parliament—a claim he dismisses as nonsense.
Room for Both Holyrood and Local Leaders
McCall argues that there is room for both a strong Scottish Parliament and powerful local leaders. Metro mayors in the US enjoy sweeping powers compared to enfeebled UK councils but do not undermine the White House. Scotland's four biggest cities are the engine rooms of the economy, and anything that improves their performance and boosts local democracy must be a good thing.
