Labour council leaders have pledged to rebel against colleagues in Scotland’s local government umbrella body to try to secure millions in extra funding for services.
A bitter row over the way cash is handed out has divided the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (Cosla) with some councils threatening to quit.
The dispute was initially split down party lines, with Labour council leaders rejecting a renewed “needs-based” distribution formula in favour of a “flat cash” position.
However, The Courier can reveal the leaders of both Stirling and East Dunbartonshire will reverse their stances at a meeting next month in a bid to secure an extra £1.9 million and £4 million respectively in their 2014-15 budgets.
Changing the funding to reflect needs-based indicators would benefit Angus Council to the tune of £2.5 million and give Perth and Kinross Council an extra £300,000.
However, the flat rate system would see Fife Council pocket £2.5 million extra and Dundee City Council gain £1.8 million.
Stirling Council leader, Labour’s Johanna Boyd, has come under pressure from her SNP opposite number, Scott Farmer, to back the change in funding.
He said: “Her decision to vote with other Labour council leaders in September denied Stirling £1.987 million in funding next year whilst benefiting large Labour-run authorities like Glasgow.”
Ms Boyd defended her decision to reject the plans, which she criticised for being unclear, but revealed she would reverse her decision at a meeting next month.
She said: “I am still awaiting an explanation from (Finance Secretary John) Swinney for these unprecedented swings in the figures. I still do not have one.
“Should the figures remain as they are, I have been very clear that I would vote for a return to the original funding formula so as to ensure Stirling benefits from the additional £2 million funding for Stirling which we had not anticipated having.”
East Dunbartonshire Council leader Rhoda Geekie said: “I can no longer support a flat rate calculation which would see the council lose over £4 million.”
The leaders of Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth and Kinross Councils all confirmed to The Courier that they would vote for the formula that gives them the most money.
That means Dundee and Fife will back the flat rate, whilst Angus and Perth and Kinross support the needs-based method.
Cosla has been dogged by several local authorities giving notice to quit the organisation in April 2015, including Aberdeen, Dumfries and Galloway, Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, South Lanarkshire and Scotland’s largest council, Glasgow.