(Image: Lison Zhao/Unsplash)
Edinburgh residents should be given a referendum on any significant local government changes in the capital, a councillor has said.
Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert has asked council leader Jane Meagher to write to First Minister John Swinney and seek assurances that a referendum would be held in the event of “any major change to the boundaries of the City of Edinburgh”.
Under proposals put forward by the government last month, Scotland’s current system of 32 local councils could be replaced with between six and 10 regional authorities and up to 160 community authorities.
While initial plans were scant on detail, the document indicated that Leith could gain its own “community authority” under the scheme.
Conservative councillor Neil Cuthbert. (Image: X)
“Community authorities would sit within the borders of regional authorities, with the aim that community authorities would see ‘burgh/county/town/district/island’ authorities based on identifiable communities,” the paper states.
“For example, this could include areas such as Kilmarnock in Ayrshire, or Leith in Edinburgh, or Blairgowrie and Rattray in Perthshire, it could be townships, villages or islands.”
Councillor Cuthbert’s motion, which has been submitted ahead of a Policy and Sustainability Committee meeting on October 20, points to the European Charter of Local Self-Government (Incorporation) (Scotland) Act 2026 as a benchmark to which any decisions must adhere.
The bill, which was granted Royal Assent in April 2026, brings Article 5 of the Charter into Scottish law.
Article 5 states: “Changes in local authority boundaries shall not be made without prior consultation of the local communities concerned, possibly by means of a referendum where this is permitted by statute.”
Councillor Cuthbert’s motion states: “The paper refers to engagement with representatives of local government. However, there was very little advance discussion with the City of Edinburgh Council before publication, despite the scale of change proposed for the city.
“The Scottish Government aims to reach a shared direction by the end of 2026, with early decisions informing the next Scottish Budget. That leaves a period of around three months for dialogue on the most fundamental reform of local government since 1996.”
A similar motion submitted by Councillor Meagher states that the plans are “disrespectful to Scotland’s councils, elected members, employees, trade unions and communities”, and that the government should abandon its “arbitrary year-end deadline” for a “shared direction” about the proposals.
Her motion also asks councillors to allow her to write to Mr Swinney and seek assurances that “no decisions have already been taken about structures, boundaries or the transfer of council functions” and that “reform will not be used to impose further reductions in local government funding or employment”.
Council leader Jane Meagher. (Image: Gordon Terris)
If approved, Councillor Meagher’s motion would also task the local authority’s chief executive with “preparing a formal City of Edinburgh Council response setting out the principles that should govern any future reform, protecting Edinburgh’s democratic accountability, workforce, financial interests and ability to deliver high-quality local services.”
A leading think tank has also criticised the potential shake-up, stating that the taxpayer could be left with a £2 billion bill once the reorganisation efforts are complete.
The report by Common Weal states: “The current proposal is to ‘dissolve’ local government and rebuild it. This appears to greatly underestimate the complexities of this and in particular the cost.
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“In particular, at the moment this policy demonstrates all the problems that caused the National Care Service legislation to collapse – imprecise goals, announcements made before policy is considered, proposals set out before proper consultation with the key partners.”
However, Deputy First Minister Jenny Gilruth has said that the proposals are about “delivering the best public services for people across Scotland” and are a “starting point” for debate.
“We need to ensure investment is focused on frontline delivery, with the right staff in the right roles to empower communities and deliver real improvements in public services,” she said when the paper was published last month.
“Some decision-making is best delivered at national level and regional level while others better sit closer to communities and we must get that balance right.”