Tories must take responsibility for hated bin tax
Of all the issues that have passed over my desk in the past few weeks the Tory bin tax remains by far the most potent and unpopular.
The Tory council’s plans to charge for a license on the collection of brown bins has gone down like a binful of foul smelling compost.
Already over 1400 people have signed a petition opposing the charge and there are concerns that fly tipping will now increase, compromising Perth and Kinross Council’s near exemplary record on recycling.
The Tories, typically unconcerned with all this unhappiness, have even provocatively agreed to increase the charge from £25 to £35 per year before the initial charge has even had a chance to be levied.
In North Muirton there is a particular issue that is perplexing the community.
There the council’s grass cutting programme has been withdrawn and residents now have to cut the grass themselves then pay for the privilege.
The Tories say that this is happening elsewhere and try to abrogate responsibility by saying it was agreed before they came to power.
I think we need to remind the Tories that they have been in charge of the council for about a year and it is time for them to start to take responsibility for their chaotic running of Perth and Kinross Council.
This is one issue that is not going to go away for them.
On grounds perhaps a bit bigger there is now real concerns about the future of many of our agricultural businesses in Perthshire.
Our world class berry farms and rural businesses are under real threat because of fears about access to seasonal migrant workers.
Most of our seasonal fruit and produce is now harvested by foreign workers usually from Eastern Europe.
As we leave the EU and end freedom of movement, access to this vital seasonal workforce will end.
There are now real concerns that this produce may now go unpicked and be left to rot on the fields with many businesses possibly even going under.
The government has consistently refused to introduce a new seasonal workers scheme regardless of the many representations from farmers and farming unions.
I have been raising this issue in parliament and will continue to put the case for a scheme and hope that there will still be time to have something in place for this summer.
Lastly I just want to congratulate and thank the many people in Perthshire who played such a huge part in getting Perthshire moving again following the dreadful weather.
There were some truly extraordinary efforts made, particularly for those reliant on extra support.
The Beast from the East may have done its worst but the people of Perthshire were up to ensuring it was suitably tamed. The charge to have brown bin waste emptied comes in on April 1