While often major issues dominate the political agenda, for many people all politics is local.

That is certainly the case for me as a local councillor and as the Provost of Argyll and Bute. It is an immense privilege to represent the people of Lomond North every single day.

The decisions we take in the council affect people’s lives every single day. From pothole-ridden roads, to our schools, care services, bin collections and local leisure centres, councillors are responsible for decisions that impact people of all ages.

That is being keenly felt more than ever due to the continued savage cuts being imposed on councils like Argyll and Bute from the SNP-Green government year after year.

I have been used to dealing with budget cuts, but this year has been like no other. That is largely down to Humza Yousaf’s council tax freeze, which he announced on the hoof to get a much-needed cheer at his party’s conference in October last year.

He and his SNP colleagues had no idea how they were going to fully fund this freeze, and have backed local authorities into a corner.

I did not get into politics to put up people’s bills. I know that many people are struggling right now with the cost-of-living and the 10 per cent rise in their council tax bill was the last thing they needed.

Councils continue to be treated with utter contempt by the SNP-Green government, to the point where Shona Robison was shamefully threatening to withhold funding for councils who didn’t agree with the council tax freeze.

If they follow through on that, then more and more crucial services in Argyll and Bute are going to have to bear the brunt of even more pain.

SNP-Green ministers should not be passing the buck onto local councils to pick up the tab for their own financial incompetence. From the ferry fiasco, to the Rangers malicious prosecution scandal, and spending money on their independence obsession, they have created a £1.5 billion hole in Scotland’s finances.

Yet their only answer is to ask councils to make impossible decisions.

I know local people will be angry and frustrated at seeing these council bills drop through their letter boxes in the months to come.

If SNP-Green ministers don’t step up, then Argyll and Bute councillors will be in this exact same position in 12 month’s time.

After this latest budget, I have absolutely no desire to go through a similar debate all over again.

The council administration will continue to focus on people’s real priorities and do everything we can to protect local services.

We will always do our bit. Now SNP-Green ministers must do theirs.