Fife Council’s co-leader has stressed the local authority is “doing everything we can to protect people” in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
Conservative councillor Linda Holt said she was shocked by the absence of information on Brexit plans as she read this week’s full council meeting papers.
However, SNP co-leader David Alexander hit back, saying what was being witnessed was “the brassiest of brass necks” given the Conservative party was responsible for Brexit.
Ms Holt claimed a leaders’ report due to be discussed on Thursday suggested a lot of work is being done.
She said: “But what? And why aren’t we being told about it?
“Brexit has been leading the news for months, no-deal exit is fast approaching, yet from Fife Council there’s been radio silence. The last Brexit briefing councillors received was in March.”
She also called a £50,000 Scottish Government grant, given to each local authority, “paltry”.
Mr Alexander was quick to defend Fife’s planning process, adding: “If we go out without a deal it will be Linda Holt’s party that carried it out.”
With the UK Government’s own report warning of possible delays in vital supplies, he added: “We are looking at chaos throughout the country based on a policy that had no plan, no analysis and no clue.”
He said the council meets firms, third sector and others, regularly, to plan.
“We are doing everything we can to protect people.
“We are working closely with the Scottish Government and Cosla to mitigate any negative impacts that come our way.”
The council’s chief executive Steve Grimmond added it was following Scottish Government, and other public bodies, guidance to prepare.
Its dedicated incident management team meets regularly.
“We have been extensively involved in preparatory work for Brexit but must bear in mind that any plans are purely speculative, until more concrete details are agreed,” he added.
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said it is also continuing to work with local government, including funding to support communities with Brexit preparations.
It provided an extra £1.6 million to councils for coordination work and had agreed a CoSLA request for an additional £50,000 per council to fund Brexit.
It has also funded two officials seconded to CoSLA as a dedicated resource to support operational readiness across councils.
He stressed leaving the EU was not Scotland’s choice and any related costs must be covered by the UK Government.
“The costs of Brexit are expected to far exceed the consequentials we have received so far and we should not have to cut spending on public services to fund Brexit.”
