SCRAP £30,000 TAI CHI COUNCIL PROGRAMME CALL

Scottish Borders Council has been urged to remove the stress and burden of Council tax payers by scrapping a £30,000 programme which provides “stress abatement” courses, Tai Chi and reflexology sessions to Council workers. SNP MSP Christine Grahame described the decision by the Council to approve the money as bizarre and urged them to think about the wider stress faced by council taxpayers paying an average of £160 per month for services. Ms Grahame said:

“I appreciate there will be Council staff who suffer genuine stress at work and that they do require support and help when needed. However this £30,000 programme of Tai Chi classes and reflexology gives the impression that Council workers are being pampered rather than supported whilst council taxpayers are left with the stress of paying the bill for it.

“I think the Council need to look again at this decision and get their priorities in the right order. First and foremost the Council exists to provide services to residents in the Borders. Over the years we have seen numerous cuts to services whilst Council tax rises have gone up by record amounts.

“Thanks to the SNP Government we have put in place the framework to allow Councils to freeze Council tax levels for three years. But that does not mean that Council’s, like SBC, should simply fritter away its money on what appears to be a bizarre programme of self-indulgence.”

SNP It’s time.....