Daniel Johnson MSP is correct, Edinburgh is a city where we pay the Council more and get less in return (report, 21/08/18). Parking charges are up, but our roads and footpaths are cratered with potholes. Community Centre charges have increased, but opening hours have been cut. We are being forced to pay for garden waste collection, but litter bins are overflowing.

Council Tax has increased 3 times in two years, but social care is at breaking point and words can’t really describe the impact of that on the older generation who made this city what it is today.

This is not the fault of the Council’s staff. The problem is that despite us paying more, the Scottish Government cuts and unfunded pay rises they are keen to take credit for mean we still can’t make ends meet. We know that in the 5 years since 2013-14, funding for day-to-day council spending from the SNP Government has decreased by 7.1% but the UK Government only cut the Scottish Government’s revenue budget by 1.8%.

On average across Scotland, the SNP have cut Council spending by £148 per person, but in Edinburgh the cut has been even greater – £226 per person.

Like my Grannie Bess used to say: “You can’t get more for less, you get what you pay for.”

Edinburgh’s Labour Councillors stand with residents across out Capital in demanding that Edinburgh gets the funding it needs. Indeed, we stand with Daniel Johnson MSP in doing so.

It is staggering that SNP Councillors choose to attack those that stand up for Edinburgh rather than join us in calling for Scotland’s Capital to get the funding and powers it needs.

Every single Labour Councillor was elected on a pledge to stand up for their Ward and our Capital.  The willingness of SNP Councillors simply to pass on cuts from their masters in Holyrood  to the people of Edinburgh is in sharp contrast to that solemn pledge and must call into question the very existence of the current coalition governing Edinburgh.