GLASGOW has set up a cross-party working group to plan the budget next year.

The council is facing cuts of around £60m from April, and council departments are being asked to propose savings.

For the first time, the council will establish a Budget Cross Party Working Group with councillors from all four parties meeting weekly to look at options for saving cash.

The full cost of cuts won’t be known until Scottish Government Finance Secretary Derek Mackay publishes his draft budget next month and reveals how much cash the council will get from Holyrood.

Council cuts totalled £165m in the last three years and it is expected the demand to find more savings will continue.

Allan Gow, City Treasurer, said he wanted to achieve a more consensual process.

Mr Gow, said: “Glasgow has coped well with the financial challenges we’ve faced in the last 10 years. But in future the scale of the savings required is unlikely to reduce.

Read more: City chiefs received more than 11,000 complaints about public services

“I want to do things differently, and I hope that today marks the start of a far more consensual way of working for the people of Glasgow.”

Meanwhile trade union leaders have demanded a seat at the table.

Unison Glasgow branch which represents thousands of council staff, want a meeting with the group as soon as possible.

Brian Smith, Branch Secretary said: “We oppose the passing on of ‘Tory cuts’and believe that the anti-austerity mandate which Glasgow, and indeed Scotland’s, politicians have, should be used to ensure no more cuts in council jobs and services, whilst fighting the Tories at Westminster.

“Much more could be done in the short term to hold off further cuts via borrowing powers, through the refinancing of PFI/PPP deals, by the use of reserves and by the Scottish Government using its tax raising powers more progressively. This would not be a panacea but a tactic to protect services whilst fighting for more money and revenue raising powers.”

In a letter to Mr Gow, he disagreed that Glasgow has coped well with austerity. Mr Smith said: “With respect, you must be living in a different city to the rest of us.”