Labour’s plans to stop the freeze on council tax have perhaps predictably led to some harsh words among local politicians.
SNP west Fife and coastal villages councillor Bill Walker used the news to attack the “antics” of local Labour councillors, accusing them of “opposing everything and misrepresenting even the most benign of changes.”
Fife Labour leader Alex Rowley hit back, saying politicians needed to move beyond “petty, juvenile press releases” and work together.
Mr Walker began by blasting Scottish Labour leader Iain Gray’s proposals to lift the three-year council tax freeze.
“Unfortunately, Gordon Brown’s legacy means council tax would have to be doubled to come near to making up for the cuts coming through from the new UK Coalition Government,” he said.
“It’s simple arithmetic, something that seems to elude Labour’s finest in their current state of blaming everything on someone else, despite their 13 years of rule at Westminster,” he said.
He said that in Fife, the SNP-Lib Dem administration had achieved “very good results” over three years, even with a council tax freeze, which he said was “absolutely necessary to make up for the inflation-busting increases in the previous eight years of Labour power at Holyrood and in Fife.”
“If Labour wants to double the council tax to make up for Westminster’s impending cuts, they should say so.
“In Fife Council we are expecting large funding cuts but are introducing a whole range of savings and efficiency improvements.
“This certainly does not include massive council tax increases as apparently envisaged by Labour.’Antics'”As for Iain Gray’s assertion that councils should have to explain very carefully… what they are using the money for, he is obviously not aware of the antics of Fife Labour councillors in opposing everything and misrepresenting even the most benign of changes.
“I say to Mr Gray, ‘Be clear on just what council tax increases you would implement and why they are needed’. A bit of Labour humility for the dire straits we are in would not go amiss,” he added.
In reply, Mr Rowley said he felt it disappointing “the SNP in Fife keep indulging in name-calling but fail to protect frontline services.”
“They have been dismantling services, attacking the most vulnerable, closing local facilities and running down the quality of service since they did a deal with Liberal councillors to run Fife Council.
“While the SNP are never keen to allow the facts to get in the way of their rhetoric, the fact is local taxation is necessary to contribute to the cost of local services.’Didn’t stack up'”The council tax freeze was a temporary measure that is now pretty permanent because their alternative, local income tax, didn’t stack up and would have damaged families, jobs and communities.
“If the SNP want to continue with the freeze, then they have to put the money in centrally that would have come from the local tax, or slash services as they have been doing the last three years,” he added.
“Over 80% of Fife’s budget comes from central government, so maybe the Scottish Parliament can be Scotland’s big council and provide all the services and there would be no council tax.
“The key point is we need to have a sensible and mature discussion about the role of local government and how it is paid for.
“So I hope we can move beyond the SNP’s petty juvenile press releases and statements and have the discussion… which I continue to promote on the future of local government, local government services and how they are paid for.”
Photo used courtesy of Stewart Lloyd-Jones.
Meanwhile a leading local campaigner has hit out at Angus Council for suggesting that council tax in the area may rise if the current freeze is lifted.
Ron Scrimgeour who is the chairman of Angus Mental Health Association and also actively involved with Age Concern branded the tax “a rough form of fiscal justice” which was unfair to the elderly, single and those on low incomes.
It follows an admission earlier this week by council leader Bob Myles that the local authority may consider an increase if Labour gains power at the Scottish Parliament elections in May.
Party leader Iain Gray has pledged to put an end to the flagship SNP policy, which has been in place since 2007, claiming it is “unsustainable” in the current financial climate.
However, Mr Scrimgeour claimed that such a rise would be a “soft option” as regards tackling the funding crisis facing all 32 local authorities and insisted Angus Council should be “leading the debate” on how to address the issue in the most efficient manner.
He added, “It costs four times as much to raise £1 of council tax revenue compared to income tax. Council tax is not related in any way to the ability of people to pay.’Inefficient'”Local government is not efficient, with its four-day shutdowns at public holidays and the pavements in our sheltered housing complexes untreated for six days last winter.
“We are also spending millions on schools that we say are fit for the 21st century and yet they are only open 195 days each year.
“Modern, highly designed leisure facilities, technical workshops and art rooms in our schools are unused during school holidays and at weekends.”
Mr Scrimgeour also questioned whether or not paying departmental directors large salaries constitued value for money.
The average or Band D household in Angus has paid an annual council tax bill of £1072 since the SNP introduced the freeze following its victory at the last Holyrood elctions.
In defending any possible council tax rise, Mr Myles said that having the “flexibility” to implement a small increase may be the only way to safeguard current standards of council services.
However, SNP group leader Helen Oswald questioned his judgment, arguing that the tax would have go up by around £200 per year if it was to make any real difference to the council budget.