LABOUR’S SECRET PLAN TO INCREASE COUNCIL TAX

SNP MSP Linda Fabiani has criticised Labour Party plans to increase Council Tax if they get back into power.

The accusation comes on the back of Labour Party adviser, Professor Arthur Midwinter’s, speech to the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ annual conference, where he claimed that the funding provided by the SNP Government to local authorities so they do not have to increase council tax, should be scrapped.

The SNP Government has for the last two years refused to increase council tax and has plans to abolish it altogether and replace it with a local income tax based on people’s ability to pay.

Ms Fabiani said:

“Professor Midwinter is a top adviser to the Labour Party and we can safely assume that what he says is as good as Labour Party policy.

“At a time when families are feeling the pinch in the midst of an economic recession we have advisors to the Labour Party advocating tax rises on hard pressed family incomes.

“The Labour Party opposed the SNP freeze of the council tax which has eased the financial burden on households for the past two years and the Scottish Government will continue to fund a freeze for the duration of this parliament because we want to help people during this difficult financial period.

“Andy Kerr MSP and Adam Ingram MP should come out and tell the East Kilbride public whether they support an increase in council tax and tell all of us what their party proposes to do about the unfair council tax that sees the less well off pay a disproportionate level of their income in local taxation.

“Under Labour we saw the council tax rise by 60 percent while under the SNP we have had no increases in the last two years. This is because the SNP recognises the difficulties of the present time and the unfairness of the council tax system.

“In time we will replace the unfair council tax with a local income tax based on people’s ability to pay”.

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