Council tax freeze helps rich not poor, says Foulkes

THE Scottish Government has confirmed that the wealthy have benefited by four times as much as the poorest from its council tax freeze in Scotland's capital.

The revelation comes amid calls for the SNP to drop its council tax freeze next year when councils look set to be forced to make massive cuts in services.

A written answer from Scottish ministers has revealed that people paying band A council tax in Edinburgh saved 119 over the last three years of the council tax freeze while those in the top band saved 406.

Labour Lothians MSP Lord George Foulkes, who received the answer, said it meant that disgraced banker Fred Goodwin had benefited more from the freeze than many on low incomes.

"Contrary to SNP claims the richest are the greatest beneficiaries of the council tax freeze," he said. "The SNP government must now agree to the request from Glasgow Council leader, Gordon Matheson, to end the council tax freeze and allow them to protect the most vital services."

The Scottish Government accused Lord Foulkes of hypocrisy.

A spokesman for finance secretary John Swinney said: "Under Labour, hard-pressed council tax payers saw their bills rise by a massive 60 per cent, while the SNP has made sure those bills have remained frozen.

"Lord Foulkes also knows that it was the previous UK Labour government that slashed Scotland's budget this year by 500 million. Labour's financial mismanagement wrecked the UK finances and caused two thirds of the 3.7 billion budget cuts facing Scotland, with the coalition responsible for the other third."