Parking levy row continues

MSP saysTories being hypocritical

Stirling MSP Bruce Crawford has accused the Scottish Tories of ‘hypocrisy’ over their opposition to the parking levy as the budget row intensifies.

Mid Scotland and Fife MSP Dean Lockhart has criticised the possible introduction of parking levies in Glasgow and Edinburgh as people from Stirling who commute to the two cities could be hit by the fee.

Analysis from the most recent Scottish census shows that 2,686 work journeys are made into the two cities from Stirling each day.

Mr Lockhart said Stirling commuters would “still be in line to pay” even though they had no say on the introduction of the levy.

He said: “The SNP has claimed there is nothing to see here when it comes to the car park tax. How out of touch can they possibly be?

“These shocking figures show commuters in Stirling will be hit by the SNP’s car park tax, regardless of whether Stirling Council decides to implement it in the area. That’s thousands of people in Stirling doing the right thing, going to work, and being punished by the SNP for the effort.

“When public transport is so bad, leaving with no option but to take the car, it is a total disgrace. There’s been no consultation and no thought put into this absurd tax. For everybody’s sakes, the SNP should listen for once and bin it now.”

However, Mr Crawford has called the Scottish Tories hypocritical due to their prior support for greater empowerment of councils.

He commented: “These are new powers being devolved to local authorities and it is for councils to assess whether or not implementing a work place parking levy is right for the area. As such, the SNP and Labour administration has agreed not to implement this charge in Stirling.

“The Tories are hypocritical when they cry blue murder over further devolution to local authorities. Indeed, in their 2016 and 2017 manifestos, they called for more empowerment of local government, giving councils greater powers over taxation.

“This is precisely the approach which is being taken with the work place parking levy, recognising that needs and challenges vary in different parts of the country – and giving council’s the ability to use this power.

“However, instead of backing a measure of local authority empowerment – as was pledged in two consecutive Tory manifestos – Tory MSPs have decided to meekly oppose this, alongside every other area of public expenditure committed in the SNP Government’s Budget.

“Instead, they favour unnecessary reductions on income tax, which would rip £500 million out of Scotland’s public finances.”

The new parking levy is due to be introduced as an amendment to the Scottish Budget in the coming weeks, as part of their budget deal with the Scottish Greens.

As part of the budget arrangement, local authorities would be granted the power to set a workplace parking levy on parking spaces.

Therefore, councils would be able to implement the parking levy if they chose to do so - with public sector bodies such as councils and NHS properties excluded.

The tax has been proposed in an attempt to reduce congestion and pollution and encourage workers to walk, cycle or take public transport to work instead.

No consultation and no thought put into this absurd tax