Scottish Tories call for extension to council tax freeze

Published on Friday 1 October 2010 12:39

The council tax freeze in Scotland should be continued for "at least another year", Tories said today.

Conservative finance spokesman Derek Brownlee argued that continuing with the SNP-induded freeze would help families who are "feeling the pinch" during difficult economic times.

Mr Brownlee's comments suggest the Tories could back the Scottish Government's Budget for 2011-12 if they can find the necessary cash to carry on with the policy.

However, there have been calls from others for ministers to consider whether the charge should continue to be frozen.

Gordon Matheson, the leader of Glasgow City Council, has already warned there can "be no sacred cows".

Speaking in June, he said: "Everything must be on the table as we go forward, we need a sustainable method of funding local government."

The Independent Budget Review group - which was commissioned by the Scottish Government - also suggested in its report that the council tax freeze should be looked at being "discontinued" as it does not appear "sustainable" in the long term.

But Mr Brownlee accused councils of calling for an increase in the charge as a "first option".

The Tory told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "There is pressure across the public sector and, of course, savings need to be made, but I think we should look at council tax rises as a last resort, not the first option.

"And my concern is that too many councils seem to be thinking that a council tax increase should be the first option."

The Conservative added that the freeze had been funded by the Scottish Government, saying: "Local authorities often don't tell you that they have been funded for the council tax freeze.

"In fact, they receive more money than strictly speaking they need to fund the council tax freeze."

He added: "The bottom line is council tax is already, I think, pretty close to the limit of what the public is able and prepared to pay.

"I actually think the public would look askance if the council tax was to rise."

With Finance Secretary John Swinney preparing his Budget for 2011-12, Mr Brownlee argued the council tax freeze should not be dropped.

The Tory said: "It's a tough time for families out there, they are feeling the pinch and we think the Government should help by freezing the council tax for at least another year."

He continued: "We think there should certainly be a council tax freeze next year. The council tax freeze has run for three years, we think running it for four is sensible because we are in difficult economic times, we've still emerging from recession.

"And once we come through that we do need to make sure that once the council tax freeze ends, and we've never said it could last indefinitely, that we don't go back to the bad old days of significant council tax rises.

"We've got to get into a situation where once the council tax freeze goes the rises are very limited indeed."

However, the Tory refused to say if his party would vote against the Budget if the Government opted to end the council tax freeze.

He stated: "We want it to be continued in the Budget published in mid November, and if it's not we will argue that it should be reinstated.

"We've always taken a responsible attitude with budgets at Holyrood but we are saying we think the council tax freeze should continue.

"We've never in the past said in black and white terms how we will vote on a Budget Bill that we haven't seen four months in advance of it.

"We're saying quite clearly though we want the council tax freeze extended, I think that's a pretty clear signal to John Swinney."