Published Date: Oct 24th, 2025
Fife Council, alongside Scotland’s other 31 local authorities, has warned that the next Scottish Government faces a "defining moment" for local democracy.
The council has joined a united national call urging all political parties to commit to a bold new settlement for local government ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.
The collective manifesto, developed by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), will be formally launched ahead of the Convention in November. At its core is a demand for a more balanced relationship between national and local government - backed by realistic, long-term funding.
Scotland's councils are contending with a £647 million national funding gap and a workforce that has reduced by 11% since 2013. Meanwhile, demand continues to rise for education, housing, social care and other essential services.
A central ask in the manifesto is a £750 million immediate boost to social care funding, alongside fair, flexible and multi-year funding settlements to stop the decline of vital services.
Councillor Shona Morrison, COSLA’s President said: "We cannot continue to ignore the vital role of local democracy in delivering better outcomes for the communities we are elected to represent. For many years, local decision making has increasingly shifted away from these communities, limiting their ability to shape local priorities. This at a time when Local Government has been left to do more with less.
“This manifesto is a turning point. It sets out the clear case for a new relationship with national government - one built on parity of esteem, trust and shared ambition."
Fife Council Leader Cllr David Ross commented: "This Manifesto sets out the urgent need for investment in our vital local services and has unanimous cross party support across Scotland’s 32 councils.
"It makes the case not only for an end to the erosion of core funding for local government services, but also highlights the need for greater devolution of powers and a fair deal for local government.
"Central to the Manifesto is an ask for an immediate boost of £750m in funding to address the growing crisis in social care. In Fife our health and social care partnership is estimating a shortfall in funding of between £5-10m this year and is struggling to meet growing demands for care. This has a huge impact on the whole health system and this is replicated across the country.
"I hope all parties in the Scottish Parliament will take this Manifesto seriously and respond positively in the run up to the Holyrood elections next year."
The manifesto calls for a full commitment to the principles of the Verity House Agreement, the cross-government pledge to treat councils as equal partners in decision-making. COSLA argues this principle must move from rhetoric to reality, warning that continued top-down governance is eroding public trust and weakening services.
It also seeks reform of council tax within the next parliamentary term, the devolution of new revenue-raising powers to councils, and the ability to make local choices based on local priorities recognising the legitimate democratic mandate every council in Scotland holds to work on behalf of their communities.
Shona said: "We cannot deliver for the people of Scotland if we do not allow for local flexibility and place trust in councils and their partners to work with local people, families and communities. Our councils must have the tools to make real decisions, the powers to raise income locally, and the respect to shape services without interference."
The manifesto also challenges what it calls "restrictive, centralised targets", including blunt measures such as teacher numbers and delayed discharge statistics, which COSLA says undermine local flexibility and hinder real improvement.
It warns against any return to "top-down" structural reforms of local government, insisting that any change must be driven by communities and focused on outcomes, not bureaucracy.
On the workforce crisis, COSLA flags a growing shortage of skilled staff in children’s services and social care, calling for a national recruitment campaign and proper recognition of its predominantly female workforce through fair, multi-year pay deals.
Other key service-specific demands include nationalising the currently precarious secure care system for vulnerable children, urgent measures to tackle the housing crisis including writing off historic Housing Revenue Account debt, and accelerated delivery of Keeping The Promise reforms.
COSLA is also urging the development of a national strategy for community cohesion - a move it says is critical amid increasing social tensions.
Councillor Morison concluded: "This is not just about councils; it’s about the kind of country we want to be. Local government is the backbone of Scotland’s communities. If we want to tackle poverty, support families, grow the economy and create fairer futures, we must start by strengthening local democracy."
"This manifesto sets out a route map to get there. We are ready to work constructively with all parties, but we will not accept anything less than parity of esteem, fairness and the power to act for our communities."
The manifesto launch marks the start of an intensive national campaign to secure cross-party support and make local government central to Scotland’s future.
