THE past week saw several landmark moments in Scotland and its politics: the election of Scottish Labour’s 11th leader, Michael Marra, since the advent of devolution; the Scottish Parliament vote affirming Scotland’s right to decide its future; the lamentable rise in the tragic number of Scottish drug-related deaths, and Glasgow City Council threatening to hire and refire 23,000 of its workforce.
The latter underlined, if needed, the perilous position and finances of local councils – one which has been cumulatively getting worse for years. This is the backdrop of Monday’s local government reorganisation, which arrived with little warning.
