Scottish Labour Candidate Brian McGinley plans to tackle SNP cuts to budgets if he wins Ayr seat.

The SNP budget will have savage consequences for vital community services in South Ayrshire which sees £500m being slashed from the budgets.

Brian said: “Now is the time for change as over the past eight years local government has become the poor cousin of the ruling elite in Edinburgh.

"I want to make it clear to the people of South Ayrshire that this year that the SNP Government plans will strip out hundreds of millions of pounds from council budgets.

"This will have a devastating effect on the support give to children, families and older people across Scotland and South Ayrshire as millions of pounds of cuts have been forced on local people yet again.”

On the Council Tax freeze, Brian argues that it was only intended as a short term fix.

The SNP’s flagship policy of a Local Income Tax crashed because it was unfair and administratively unworkable.

Eight years on they have failed to come up with an alternative, resulting in £2.5bn being taken from local services.

Brian said: “No one wants to raise taxes, but when we do then we need to find a fair way to do it.

"This is not the time for indecision and delay.

"Councils are being forced to hold a freeze council tax, yet again.

"If they refuse or do not meet Edinburgh’s priorities, they will be punished by the SNP Government who will withdraw further monies from cash trapped council budgets.

"They are holding local councils to ransom”.