A landmark agreement to forge a stronger partnership between
local and national government has been signed by First Minister
and COSLA President Shona
Morrison.
The Verity House Agreement sets out principles for working
together to empower local communities, tackle poverty, transform
the economy and provide high-quality public services.
It includes commitments to:
- agree a new Fiscal Framework governing how local authorities’
funding is allocated, reducing ring-fencing and giving them
greater control over their budgets to meet local needs
- regularly review councils’ powers and funding, with the
expectation that services will be delivered at a local level
unless agreed otherwise
- incorporate the European Charter of Local Self-Government
into Scots Law
- reform public services, building on the partnership working
established during the pandemic recovery
- develop a framework for collecting and sharing evidence to
ensure progress is maintained
The First Minister said:
“Today we have committed to build a stronger relationship with
local government, with mutual trust and respect at its core.
“The Verity House Agreement is based on the idea that councils
know best how to serve the people in their communities. By giving
them greater flexibility over how they use their budgets and
regularly reviewing their powers and funding, we can empower them
to put that knowledge into practice – whether that’s to tackle
poverty, transform our economy to deliver net zero, or to provide
the high quality public services on which we all rely.
“This is just the start of the process, and we look forward to
working further with COSLA and councils in the interests of the
people of Scotland.”
Councillor Morrison said:
“Signing the Verity House Agreement today at COSLA’s offices is a
clear signal that both parties want to reset the relationship
between central and local government in Scotland.
“This agreement is about creating a new way of working as a
partnership of equals – discussing key issues as early as
possible and using our collective expertise to deliver for
communities across Scotland.
“Scottish local government is the sphere of government closest to
the people of Scotland and delivers a range of essential services
that impact on people’s everyday lives and livelihoods - from
education to improving health; from social care to the fabric of
our communities.
“When national and local government work together to tackle
shared priorities, the result will be better outcomes for the
people of Scotland. This is ultimately what councils seek to
achieve every day of every year – better local outcomes for the
people we serve, enabling everyone to live well locally.”
Background
The Verity House
Agreement was signed in Edinburgh by the First Minister,
the COSLA President and Vice President, the Deputy First
Minister, the Local Government Empowerment Minister and the COSLA
Political Group Leaders.
European Charter of Local
Self-Government - Impact of the European Convention on Human
Rights
