SNP Government national care service plans in crisis after council leaders withdraw support

EXCLUSIVE: The decision comes after trade unions also walked away from the controversial plans.

Council chiefs have voted to withdraw support for the SNP Government's national care service, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the troubled bill. Local authority leaders ended their “shared accountability” deal on Friday.

The Government plan involves a huge shake up of the care sector in order to harmonise standards and wages. Critics say the proposals are a power grab from councils and trade unions are also concerned.

Ministers tried to rewrite the bill and they reached a consensus with council umbrella group COSLA in 2023 around ‘shared accountability’ for NCS reform.

However, a COSLA meeting of council leaders voted 18-14 to withdraw support. A source said the SNP wanted to delay a decision on withdrawal and seek an urgent meeting with Health Secretary Neil Gray.

A COSLA paper had accused the Government of a lack of progress on reform:

“Given the wide ranging and significant concerns with the Bill, COSLA officers have sought dedicated discussions with Scottish Government officials, placing standard tripartite discussions on hold.

“In these discussions it is apparent that there is no clear appetite to make changes to draft amendments to address the concerns of Local Government and that Ministers intentions in relation to the mandating of children and justice services remain.”

The GMB and Unison trade unions have also called for the bill to be withdrawn. Unison Scotland regional manager Simon Macfarlane said recently: “As it stands, those in need of care, their families and the workers in the sector are all set to be failed by this Bill.

“Even at this advanced stage, the Government is unable to explain what it will do or how, and what improvements will be made. The Bill should be scrapped and the focus moved to delivering commitments such as funding fair work and sectoral bargaining.”

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