Councils shake-up 'about strengthening communities not centralisation', say SNP

Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth (left) with First Minister John Swinney (Image: PA)

A MAJOR local government shake up is not about “centralisation”, the Scottish Government has insisted.

Proposals put forward by the SNP could see Scotland’s 32 councils scrapped and replaced with six regional councils and as many as 160 community authorities.