A SCOTTISH council leader has ripped into the UK Government after her area missed out on the latest round of levelling up funding after it changed the rules at the last minute.
Moray, Dumfries and Galloway, and the Borders, which are represented by Tory MPs Douglas Ross, Alister Jack and John Lamont respectively, were awarded millions of pounds for projects in the third round of funding this week.
But the SNP-led Angus Council has said the UK Government gave no prior warning the approach to round three would be to award the remaining cash to bids previously submitted in round two.
As such, the local authority has been left with no further chance to submit an application.
Council leader Beth Whiteside said the council put "significant work" into preparing two ambitious bids for the third round of the scheme, which was allegedly designed to replace EU funding following Brexit.
The council was hoping to secure funding for the Brechin Caledonian Railway and country parks in the area.
Just three areas without Tory MPs received cash in the third round. Glasgow saw £15 million awarded to the Drumchapel Town Centre Regeneration project, and South Lanarkshire and North Ayrshire secured funding.
In a scathing statement, Whiteside said: "Like many councils across Scotland, Angus Council and our partners have put significant work into preparing two ambitious bids for the third phase of UK Government Levelling Up Funding, for which no deadline had been set.
"With no prior warning, the UK Government announced on Tuesday that the approach to round three of the Levelling Up Fund is to award the remaining funding to bids that were previously submitted in round two.
"This looks very much like the Tories trying to buy votes, ahead of an election they are widely predicted to lose.
"Communities are being let down yet again by a UK Government which has self-interest rather than community interest at its heart.
"Not only does the level of funding fall far short of what was available from the EU, but devolved governments are being undermined, as decisions best made locally are being made for political purposes in London. The people of Scotland deserve better."
Angus Council added it would continue to work with Brechin Caledonian Railway and consultants Systra to develop the business case to target future funding opportunities.
Whiteside added: "We will also focus on work with Angus Alive and consultants to find a sustainable and ambitious future for the country parks at Monikie and Crombie."
SNP president Michael Russell also accused the Tories of effectively trying to buy votes earlier this week calling the latest levelling up stunt "pure naked pork-barrel politics with public money".
He added: "It is tantamount to using the public purse to try and prop up a government that is out of time, out of ideas and now has no shame left.”
