This summer has brought significant change to British politics.
A Scottish parliament, the majority of whom are new MSPs and a new Prime Minister who is promising the biggest shake-up to the UK constitution in decades raises the important question; what will this mean for people here in Clackmannanshire?
Andy Burnham has made clear that one of his central missions is to rewire the UK constitution and push devolution into every corner of the country.
However, so far this ambition appears restricted to England. Scotland should be part of that conversation too.
We have had nearly 30 years of devolution, and in that time, we have seen both its strengths and its limits.
The SNP often presents itself as the champion of devolving power, yet in government it has spent 20 years centralising power to Holyrood and weakening the ability of councils, including Clackmannanshire Council, to respond to local needs.
The hypocrisy is deafening. On one hand, SNP ministers demand ever more powers and spending freedom from Westminster, whilst with the other hand they have stripped back local government’s autonomy.
Year after year, councils have seen more of their funding ring-fenced for national priorities, leaving them with less room to decide how money should be spent in their own communities.
Services such as education and social care are rightly prioritised, but the more that spending is dictated from the centre, the harder it becomes for councils to protect everyday local services such as bin collections, road repairs, libraries and leisure facilities.
The council tax freeze imposed under Humza Yousaf’s administration without adequate funding exposed the problem clearly.
It left councils in an impossible position and was followed by sharp council tax rises the following year, including a 13 per cent rise in Clackmannanshire.
If the Prime Minister is serious about bringing devolution to every part of the UK, he should start by recognising that devolution must not stop at Holyrood.
It must reach town halls and communities across Scotland. That means ensuring the Scottish Government gives councils the freedom and financial control they need to spend money according to local priorities.
The Scottish Conservatives have set out a different approach.
We would guarantee local government a higher proportion of the Scottish Government’s overall budget and fix that share over the lifetime of the Parliament, so councils benefit fairly when the national budget rises.
We would also simplify the complex funding formula, cutting bureaucracy and ensuring rural councils are properly supported for the higher costs they face, while urban councils are recognised for population growth.
Crucially, we would introduce a Budgetary Freedom Guarantee, giving councils a protected share of their budget to spend on local priorities.
That would be backed by a Local Power Bill and multi-year funding, giving councils the stability they need to plan ahead.
Real devolution is not just about moving power from London to Edinburgh.
It is about trusting communities like Clackmannanshire to make decisions for themselves.
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