It turns out quite a few of us haven’t given up on consultations entirely.

You could hardly blame folk if they had. We’ve all been there. Filing into village halls to make our views plain. Completing online surveys. And to what end? So often, even when objections to some action are communicated clearly, even unanimously, the ‘community voice’ is ignored and the body concerned proceeds as originally intended.

There’s no need to list examples. The most egregious are fresh enough in our memories. Probably the dental services redesign stands out the most. The community spoke out against centralisation with one voice and, well, we are where we are now.

If consultation fatigue is indeed a thing, apathy, in other words, it’s hardly a wonder.

That’s why the level of response to the recent Comhairle nan Eilean Siar budget survey raised some eyebrows. 1273 members of the public completed the survey. Close to 5 percent of the population of the islands, or 1 in 20 residents, took the trouble to share their opinions.

It seems justified to speculate as to what promoted this outpouring.

True, close to half the submissions were connected to art and culture. Institutions including An Lanntair and our own Taigh Chearsabhagh have recently mounted campaigns against reductions in the level of funding they receive from the local authority. Last year, in the same exercise, only four responses were connected to art and culture.

This time, the vast majority of responses, 61.2 percent, mentioned either education or health and social care. Even more definitively, 89 percent of survey respondents said that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar does not receive enough money from the Scottish Government to deliver public services in the Western Isles.

The local authority says that the Scottish Government’s draft local government settlement will result in an estimated £5.4 million funding shortfall. Interpreting the feedback from the community, Cllr Paul Steele, Leader of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, said the message was clear, that the Scottish Government must invest more and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar must do all it can to protect key services from reduction.

It seems others are thinking along the same lines.

In its latest update on council finances, the Accounts Commission reports that although Scottish Government funding to councils has been increasing, it hasn’t kept pace with rising costs and demand. Councils are overspending on delivering services and borrowing more.

Derek Yule, member of the Accounts Commission, said: “Despite increased funding and income, councils are struggling to cope with the financial pressures they face. We’re already seeing the impact on services. The pace of improvement is slowing, some services are being cut or are harder to access, and there are growing levels of dissatisfaction from communities.”

Yes, it appears dissatisfaction is growing among the population of the Western Isles. Members of the public have highlighted their concerns in considerable number.

And how striking that the majority of people are concerned with the fundamentals. Good schools and proper care for the elderly. There’s no clamour for new infrastructure, big capital projects, or anything that might be deemed frivolous. Just the basics.

We’ve all been through a tough time and folk are eager for an improvement in living standards. There’s now a new generation all grown up that has known nothing but cuts and decline. The legacy of the great financial crash of 2008. Since the pandemic, we’ve all been working harder with less to show for our efforts. Squeezed between stagnant wages and the increased cost of living. It’s no surprise that people are realistic about the economic situation, but determined to have the bare minimum it’s reasonable to expect from government.

Both Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and the Accounts Commission are right to focus on the Scottish Government. Any increase in the local authority settlement has to come from Holyrood.

There’s a Scottish Parliament election happening in just over three months. Islanders would do right to challenge candidates on their stance on local authority funding. If people don’t apply any pressure, there’s no hope of any improvement. And there’s no better time to act than when votes, seats and the composition of the Scottish Parliament is on the line.

Folk aren’t being extravagant. Their asks are entirely reasonable. The right level of funding for education and social care. Keep the momentum and carry on speaking out.