Council leaders have warned cuts to vital services are now “inevitable” as they told how the Scottish Government’s draft budget for 2019-20 would have a “major impact” on their work.

While some key areas local government is responsible for have been shielded from the financial pressures facing the public sector, MSPs were told that there was “no room left for manoeuvre” and “cuts to previously protected services will be inevitable”.

Cosla, the organisation which represents Scotland’s 32 local authorities, made the warning to MSPs on Holyrood’s Local Government and Communities Committee ahead of its examinations of Finance Secretary Derek Mackay’s draft budget.

Across Scotland, local authorities are responsible for a host of services, including the provision of schools and care services.

Cosla stated: “The consequences of the announced cuts will have a major impact on the essential services provided by local government across Scotland and will severely limit our ability to invest in people, places and the economy. This settlement will impact jobs, frontline services and economic growth.”

Cosla added: “We now know that councils are facing significant cuts to core funding in both revenue and capital and will face difficult decisions over the coming weeks over the cuts they will be forced to make locally.”

The organisation stressed it had “significant concerns about the draft budget as announced, and the impact on individuals, communities and the Scottish economy”.