Council tax - 'We are being softened up for a rise'

Because of the restrictions of being a minority administration, the SNP has broken promises and seen many plans flounder since 2007.

But one policy which voters have reason to thank Alex Salmond's party for holding firm to is the council tax freeze it negotiated with local authorities.

That policy wasn't actually in the SNP's 2007 manifesto, but it emerged from the ruins of its unworkable local income tax.

And, after years of ever-rising council taxes, homeowners across the country cheered this key part of the "concordat" struck between the SNP and Cosla.

But, despite an annual subsidy from the Scottish Government as compensation, many councillors and local officials have come to regret the deal as the noose has tightened on public sector cash. And it looks like we are being softened up for the end of the council tax freeze.

As we report today, the prospect of a three per cent rise is being discussed within Edinburgh City Council. It probably won't happen without a national agreement, but if that was secured it would mean an extra 40 a year on the average bill, and 70 on those for the most expensive properties.

That would raise 6.6m a year for the council, just when it is desperately looking to plug a 90m budget black hole over three years.

That is one reason why residents who have attended the council's public consultation summits have been asked if they would be willing to pay more council tax to save local services. Perhaps surprisingly, seven out of ten said they would.

This was a snapshot of a few dozen people at a time, and the serious doubts about the way the summits have been organised demand that these findings be handled with care. But it is clear that we are reaching the point where city residents - and those who live in West, East and Midlothian - are going to have to either pay more in local tax or accept that their councils will have less money to spend.

That won't be a problem if they can be forced to find genuine savings through the efficiencies we all know could be made in every single council department.

But if the cuts hit services many depend upon - leading to bigger classes, fewer bin collections and more potholes in the road - then a pound a week more in council tax may be a price worth paying.