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Swinney stands firm on council tax cash

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Published Date: 12 December 2008
By David Maddox
A FREEZE in council tax looks set to go ahead next year, despite no extra money being offered to fund it by the Scottish Government.
John Swinney, the finance secretary, yesterday announced he would give Scotland's 32 councils £70 million to freeze the council tax, despite many authorities claiming this would not be enough.

However, The Scotsman understands that the councils, led by Glasgow, which had threatened not to freeze the tax, will climb down.

A senior local government source said: "It would be too damaging to not take the extra money and then have to raise the tax by even more."

However, there were still warnings that the lack of extra funds would lead to cuts in services.

A spokesman for Stephen Purcell, the leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "The money is not enough in the new economic climate. This means tough decisions will have to be made in the 2009-10 budget."

Meanwhile, during First Minister's Questions yesterday, Alex Salmond called for tougher drink-driving laws.

The SNP has previously backed plans for a reduction from the current 80mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg per 100ml, but responsibility in this area is reserved to Westminster.





Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 11 December 2008 9:16 PM
  • Source: The Scotsman
  • Location: Edinburgh
  • Related Topics: Council tax
 
1

Lurking from home,

11/12/2008 21:59:09
It looks like the SNP is determined to create as much havoc in Scotland as Labour has for the whole of the UK.

So, the population of Scotland gets their pockets picked twice!
2

Professor-Quincy-Adams-Wagstaff ,

11/12/2008 22:46:37
"Meanwhile, during First Minister's Questions yesterday, Alex Salmond called for tougher drink-driving laws.

The SNP has previously backed plans for a reduction from the current 80mg of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood to 50mg per 100ml, but responsibility in this area is reserved to Westminster."

===================================================

Good to see that once again our MSPs are wasting time and money discussing things that they have no power over.
3

Professor-Quincy-Adams-Wagstaff ,

11/12/2008 23:13:24
Jim Murphy certainly put John Swinney in his place on Newsnight last night.

What a total mismatch.

All Swinney had to offer was "Norway", "Norway", "Norway"!

"What are your policies John?"

"Norway", "Norway", "Norway"!

"What about HBOS John?"

"Norway", "Norway", "Norway"!

"What day of the week is it John?"

"Norway", "Norway", "Norway"!
4

,

12/12/2008 00:33:16
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
5

2Right,

On Location 12/12/2008 03:37:02
Mr Swinney would do well to raise the concerns of his costituent Mr Milne about the conduct of SCCRC not interviewing a single witness in his appeal to them, despite taking three years to investigate they only Interviewed his Lawyer.

Mr Swinney has chosen to ignore Mr Milnes concerns because they are all afraid to upset SCCRC.
6

Pilrig.,

Livingston 12/12/2008 05:56:07
Posters 1-4 want to pay more tax !!!!
7

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 07:07:04
3
That was just embarrassing. Poor Mr Swinney. Word from inside the tartan HQ is that his days are numbered....but who have the nats got to take over? Surely not that Father Jack look-a-like, Stewart 'Worzel' Stevenson?
8

The Online Scot,

... Not The Herald ... 12/12/2008 08:03:52
Having watched the Newsnight programme I have to say that swinney was slightly the beter performer of the two.

The acid test is how the individual performs when put under scrutiny, Swinney was constantly pressurised by Brewer whilst I recall Murphy only once being subjected to such.

Murphy simply talke over Brewer when it was pointed out that small independent countries have indeed withstood this crisis, Sweden was named as an example.

I believe that Murphy revealed a lack of sure footedness when forced away from a pre-prepared script.

One last thing, Murphy was constantly looking around as though looking for cue's or direction, what was going on their?
9

Linda,

Edinburgh 12/12/2008 09:58:45
Back to the story about Council Tax.

Scotsman by printing Labour's press release conveniently omits to say that Scottish government is increasing funds to local authorities by 5% next year. Much more than Westminster is giving Scotland. Local government is again receiving a higher proportion of Scottish budget than it ever did under 8 years of Labour / Lib Dem executive.

Next year's settlement has been welcomed by Pat Watters(Labour) leader Cosla.
10

ochone,

Sauchie, Clack's 12/12/2008 10:40:57
No wonder the unionists are in a bad mood today, this is the freeze that many of them and their pals in the media have been saying that John Swinney wouldn't get through, mind you they said that about the first one!
11

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 10:59:17
10
There was never any doubt that the tartan tories in the SNP would insist on tax cuts at the expense of jobs services. The only doubt now is just how many jobs and services need to be cut to deliver their crazy policies....
12

Alan B,

12/12/2008 11:04:30
#Grahamski

Labour have just been about spending far more money than was coming in in taxes, raising taxes through the roof and deliverying very little in return apart from massive debt much off balance sheet which the interntional accounting measures are to close down this shoddy practice and will have to be paid by future tax payers .

Labour never learn you actually have to generate wealth before you spend it. That economic growth is a far better way and the only real long term way of increasing tax revenues to deliver better services. And the economic growth should be via good economic fundamentals and not massive consumer debt.
13

Alan B,

12/12/2008 11:08:10
Why are the labour party the arc of corruption?

Murphy gets caught diddling his expenses McLeish style like a group of 6/7 other labour mps and after a few yrs he get promoted when he really should have been drummed out of parliament.

It is simply not acceptable that mps that are caught red handed come up with a muddle not a fiddle excuse and then are let off. Labour then seem to promote them as they now have control over them and their loyalities.

14

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 11:17:14
13
This constant girning and mud-slinging from the nats is tiresome.....it really makes you suspect that they've got nothing else to offer beyond grievance, smears and petty jealousies....
15

Alan B,

12/12/2008 11:39:25
#Grahamski

Why should we accept corruption from any party?

I would like a zero tolerence to financial indiscretions on all mps and msps. There is just far too much fiddling or muddles that discredits the whole system. Why should we not demand honesty in politics?

I have no problem with mps/msps who mess up with non financial matters ie get drunk and do stupid things as we all make mistakes or other things in their private lives. ie it was sad McConnell had to come out publicly about his affair as it was irrevelent.

Are you really happy that labour have under Blair been so dodgy round donations and loans? That is not the party of John Smith.

Were you happy with tory sleaze which seems trivial by what has gone on under labour?

Are you really happy with a party that brings Mandelson back for a 3rd time?

Too me if you do wrong that you have to resign, (in mandelsons case lie on a mortgage application while a senior government figure) then you should simply not come back and certain it should not be resign quickly so we can quickly rehabilitate you.

16

Alan B,

12/12/2008 11:46:39
#Grahamski

"smears"

A smear is something that is not true. Murphy's indiscretion was openly admitted to and is public knowledge. As i said there were 6 or 7 other mps who were also involved.

If i remember correctly it involved claiming 100% of their constituency office rent from westmisnter and then getting 50% from the msp whe they shared the office with who would get compensated by the scottish parliament.

As such 150% was being claimed from the public purse.

If you did that sort of thing in any other job you would be sacked and probably face criminal prosecution. These guys are not stupid so a muddle does not really do it for me.
17

Alan B,

12/12/2008 11:52:05
#Grahamski

There is a link

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4156/is_/ai_n13962936

18

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 11:57:01
15/16
yadda yadda...as I said, when a political party has nothing to offer but negative attacks on their opponents then that's a party that is truly corrupt...only the SNP have publicly-funded 'researchers' who spend their time muck-raking and talking their country down....not good...
19

Alan B,

12/12/2008 12:00:17
#Grahamski

So you support politicians caught up in financial sleaze?

Good to see where your morality is at.

This is not about the snp but should be about the public at large not accepting corruption from politicians and their parties.

Your attitude. Oh I support this party so it is ok if they are corrupt really is an indefensible position.


20

Patrick O'Reilly,

Coatbridge 12/12/2008 12:30:58
SNP sources suggest that Swinney will be away by the end of next week. Away to work for Trump like Alex?
21

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 12:40:20
19
Aye, keep shovelling that dirt...it's all the nats have left.....
22

,

12/12/2008 12:48:56
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
23

Grahamski,

Falkirk 12/12/2008 12:52:47
22
Mr Swinney whimpered about Norway a few times, ignored the fact that the UK government had saved two Scottish banks and started greetin about it being our oil..so I suppose you're right, he gave a good account of SNP policies.
24

Rev. S. Campbell,

Bath 12/12/2008 14:26:42
#18 "yadda yadda...as I said, when a political party has nothing to offer but negative attacks on their opponents then that's a party that is truly corrupt..."

Couldn't agree with you more. So what's Labour's positive, constructive plan over council tax?
25

go boil ur heid,

12/12/2008 15:16:54
Professor-Quincy-Adams-Wagstaff shouldn't you change your name to Sebastian. you sound much more like the character off little britain, than a character from the excellent marx bros
26

ochone,

Sauchie, Clacks 12/12/2008 18:06:48
Like I said earlier, the unionists are only narked because it looks like John Swinney is now about to get Council Freeze 2 through.

It's great though when you can look through the history books and see that throughout the 20th centuary and now into the 21st there has never been a unionist government of any hue who hasn't been involved in some kind of economic crises or other, and yet their supporters still come on to places like this and try to give lectures on economics.

 

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