So the Scottish Government has published its draft budget for 2011/12 and the details of its 'offer' to local government.
In a letter to Council Leaders the Finance Secretary John Swinney tells us that the agreement he has struck with COSLA - the local authority umbrella body - is "based upon mutual respect and partnership". I beg to differ.
The choice for individual Councils like Inverclyde is quite stark.
If we sign up to the deal - I have to send a letter to Mr Swinney by 21 December confirming our agreement - we will face a cut of 2.6% in our revenue funding. If we don't sign up we will face a cut of 6.4%!
This hardly smacks of mutual respect to me and it certainly doesn't demonstrate mutual trust.
Previous Scottish Governments were criticised for the excessive use of ring fenced funding. This Government might be taking a different approach but the message is very much the same i.e. do as you are told on your funding will be cut.
Surely any pretence of parity of esteem between the two levels of Scottish Government has gone for ever?
As some of us have realised for a long time, we in local government are very much the junior 'partner' in the relationship and when push comes to shove we have no option but to do as we are told.
Mind you one good thing has come of the latest 'deal' between COSLA and the SNP Government and that is the end of the 'historic' Concordat.
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