Local authority leaders in Scotland today warned of job losses amid an ‘extremely precarious financial situation' for councils.

Councils north of the border currently face an estimated £1bn funding gap in 2023-24 – a gap that vice-president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, Steven Heddle, described as ‘extremely dangerous ground.'

Cllr Heddle said: ‘Make no mistake, what we will now face is councils struggling to deliver even the basic, essential services that communities rely on.

‘To put this into perspective, the estimated £1bn gap for councils in 2023-24 is the equivalent of the entire budget for early learning and childcare across Scotland or 17,500 teachers.

‘A funding gap of this magnitude will have an impact on all our communities, with the most vulnerable who rely on these services suffering the worst consequences.'

COSLA president Shona Morrison added: ‘The Scottish Government's spending plans as they stand will see council services either significantly reduced, cut or stopped altogether.

'70% of local government's budget is spent on staffing so it is inevitable that current spending plans will lead to job losses.'